R. K. Singh’s Knocking Vistas and Other Poems: Article by Ghanishtha Verma
KNOCKING VISTAS AND OTHER POEMS BY R. K. SINGH
-Ghanishtha Varma
Ghanishtha Verma is a PhD research scholar at Binod
Bihari Mahto Koyalanchal University, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India. She
also works as a freelance writer for Reviews, a print-cum-online
magazine (http://thereviewsindia.co.in). Her poems and book
reviews have appeared in Reviews and Das Literarisch.
no use writing more
to reveal my meanings:
brief is beautiful
to make an eternity…
(R.K.Singh, On His Suggestion To Write A Memoir)
Knocking Vistas and Other Poems (2024) by Ram Krishna Singh vouches for the poet’s expertise and experience in his craft. It is his latest poetry book, which consists of 34 regular poems and over 250 micro poems, mainly haiku and tanka, in an experimental mode. It is a journey, a voyage into the realms of the human heart and mind, the natural world, and the spaces in between. The poet’s genius lies in expressing himself through precise and tricky use of words.
In this collection Singh explores the myriad possibilities
of existence with the amalgamation of blessings and adversities. This includes
longing for the past, wobbly politics, monotonous life, pain, love, sex,
creation, nature, and evils such as witchcraft and injustices of all sorts.
The work comes out as highly experimental in the process of meaning-making. Stylistically, the intentional omission of comma and full stop (and use of double space instead of commas) bestow readers with the opportunity to create his/her own rhythm and meaning of the poem. Readers can choose his or her own pauses according to their understanding, and make meaning. The poet, an internationally recognized voice in haiku and tanka writing from India, has also confidently and successfully experimented with the traditional Haiku and Tanka forms. He writes free-form haiku and tanka, in varying syllable counts, as in “wintered sadness/ different dimensions-/ nature’s cycle/ unable to cope/ Zen meditation” (‘Knocking Vistas’, p. 59). Further, the enjambed lines in most of the poems heighten the sense of urgency and also help in creation and continuation of rhythm.
The book begins with the poem ‘One More Poem’ in an oxymoronic tone, suggesting rejection of nostalgia and disengagement with future and ends with parallelism emphasizing on creation. The first person speaker of the poem whispers in the ears of the reader that he does not long for the past, but the past ‘swings and rings.’ Nor is he worried about his future for which he is deliberately making ‘empty wishes prayers and meditation’ which contradicts the earlier assertion of not caring for the past and future. The use of present tense in the poem makes it more relatable to the reader, making them engage in contemplation.
Poems on Politics
There are several poems
on politics. Politics is an opportunity for politicians to lead, guide and
bring development for people. It is to enhance democracy which is a government
‘of the people, by the people and for the people’. Politics and democracy aim
at uniting people, transforming society, respecting people and providing equal
rights and opportunities for citizens of a country. But unfortunately, present day politics has
degraded to a mere profit-making business in the hands of populist leaders who
are fuelling hatred, division and destruction.
Through the poems like ‘Consecration’ (p. 14), ‘War in Gaza’ (p. 17), ‘Politics of Deception’ (p. 18), ‘Eternal Terror’ (p. 21) etc., the poet gives us the picture of the political scenario of the world. He rejects the politics of hatred in the guise of the shabby cloak of religion.
In ‘Consecration’, the poet questions the “consecration on the ruins” reflecting on the events happening in the country.
The poet does not take any side but subtly interrogates and condemns destruction and ‘wounded humanity’ in his poem ‘War in Gaza’. He is hopeful about the rebuilding of Gaza and its coexistence with Israel. He writes:
“Cursed Gaza awaits
a miracle to rise a new phoenix
to exist with Israel
despite the devil’s designs
For perpetual desolation”
The cynical tone of the poem ‘Politics of Deception’ draws on manipulation for political profit of leaders. The images of ‘roaring guns,’ ‘flying bombs,’ ‘total death on earth’ in the poem suggest the hanging of the sword of Damocles over the head of humanity. Also, the metaphor of ‘sun of science’ warns about the slippery nature of science.
Environmental Issues
The concern for the environment has drawn attention around the globe. Human activities harming nature is not a sudden crisis. The rise of industries and the pollution it causes in the name of development have been a major concern.
This concern for the environment is captured in the poem ‘Loss.’ The ecological exigency has further been connected with the interrogation of power and politics for their act of silencing. The images of ‘chimneys’, ‘black spots’, ‘smoke’, ‘wildfires’, ‘gas emission’ in the poem put emphasis on the degradation of the natural world. Singh questions the larger silence, as he writes:
“they have their priorities
mission to rewrite histories
…
climate change is no excuse
to mould the mind of Gen-Z
in face of imminent doom:
stay quiet at morass of loss”
Women’s Exploitation
In this collection, the poem ‘Cry of a Mother’ resonates with women’s issues, mainly gender and sex. The poem is basically a reflection on the condition of women in India and elsewhere. The metaphorical use of the word ‘clitoris’ underscores women—half of the population is simply ignored. No one wants to talk about them, neither lovers nor doctors. “Why do they ignore the clitoris when half of the world has it? / the lovers don’t care the doctors don’t talk”. The ignorance or denial of the existence of women, or the refusal to empathize with their dreams and desires are not a natural process like that of a leaf but is an ill-constructed male practice. The reference to the chocolate, “a chocolate remedy,” is an allusion to the novel, Chocolat (1999) by Joanne Harris which talks about the emancipation of women by drawing a contrast between pleasure and denial. Notably, the novel was adapted for an award-winning film with the same title in 2000. Singh writes:
“denial is the way of the life
be it desire emotion or frailty
for conformity unity and control”
Moreover, the image of ‘redness’ of the sun suggests the intensity or passionate nature which juxtaposes it with the image of ‘drab colours’ of the clothing of priests. This is suggestive of resistance of incorrectly accused practices such as witchcraft against the narrow mindedness of religious authority. He writes: “who accuse of heresy witchcraft or immortality/ to shut the so called hotbeds of sedition”. The poem ends with the images of resistance against the dominating male attitude that forces ‘spinning wheel’ of women, their daily domestic chores and family responsibilities, and their love and sex, ultimately “condemned to nursing home” to suffer in loneliness. The first line and the last line join together to build the argument of the poem.
Also, a support for the criticism of the Pope can be found in the poem ‘Love.’ The poem seems to be is inspired by Sharon Olds’ short poem ‘The Pope’s Penis’. The rejection of old conventions and establishment is presented through clever wordplay in the poem. The speaker of the poem denies to worship the ‘ancient lies’ and expresses doubt against division and domination. In appreciation of anti-establishment imagination and vision of Sharon Olds, the poet says,
“I love Sharon Olds’ spark
her vision of Pope’s member
erect in sleep for his God”
Sum up
The question of self and monotonous life, pleasures of sex and spirituality, blessings of companionship, struggle against disease and age, and rupture in relationships are also explored in various poems. Knocking Vistas and Other Poems can be capsulized as a collection which amalgamates the pain of living with the moments of joy with its immensely rich usage of images and metaphors that aim to tickle and comfort readers. Rich Murphy rightly observes: “the energy in this collection of confessional poems later in life promises the experienced readers that the “end of the season” is a metaphor after all. This reader clicks his “heels together: secret code” that requests another collection soon.”
Works Cited:
Singh, Ram Krishna. Knocking Vistas and Other Poems. Authorspress, 2024.
The Hindu. "Why This Degradation? A Look at the State of the Political Discourse." April 06, 2014. Accessed, April 07, 2024.
Murphy, Rich. April 06, 2024. LinkedIn.
Published in International Journal on Multicultural Literature (IJML) Vol.14, No. 2, July 2024, pp. 58-61
posted by Ram Krishna Singh at 8:45 PM
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