Poem
-
Dr. V. Kondal Rao
For a poem a poem to be
There should be knowledge.
But the knowledge should be
Sound, profound,
Deep as the sea, steep as the sky,
Renewing, replenishing as a river,
Fresh, refreshing as a just born flower
Experience.
But the experience should be rich and
rewarding,
Meaningful, moving,motivating,
inspiring, invigorating.
Feeling.
But the feeling should be touching,
Pulsating, palpitating,
evoking, provoking,
Restive and restless
To say something compelling, impelling.
Thought.
But the thought should be new, novel,
Unique and original,
Amazing, astounding, awakening, tinkling,
tintinabulating.
Language.
But the language should be
More like a poise than like a noise
Elevating, enchanting,
ennobling, energizing, engaging.
Melody.
But the melody should be
Lilting, melting, haunting
As if a petallic hand painting,
A soul from the firmament beckoning.
Flow.
But the flow should be like a
floating glow,
A charm of a cheer gliding.
Not like a boisterous stream
but like a regal river smoothly, steadily
moving,
Like the 'King of the Jungle’
Springly pacing,
‘The Queen of the Birds’ in full plume
dancing.
Tempo.
But the tempo should be
Like that of a tempered bow,
As the ebbing and evolving
enchanting rainbow.
Mist and mystery.
But the mist and mystery should be
Like the blush of a bride
Carried to the marriage site -
A bud – flowering sight.
Colour.
But the colour should be
Like the smile of an artist’s brush
Painting something new, novel and fresh.
Like the lawn that morn trimmed,
Lush, dew fresh.
Humor.
But the humor should be
Subtle and sublime, petalic soft
Like the divinely waft.
Satire and sarcasm.
But the satire and sarcasm should be
Scintillating, ventilating,
Dashing and flashing,
Sprinkled with a pinch of
sorrow, morrow,
Dazzling like the speed of an arrow.
Style.
But the style should be
Like a mild and muffled fragrance,
The aroma of the "Nightingale",
"Sampenga" or the "Madan Musth"
Like the felt - unfelt, smelt –
unsmelt.
More, many more, a poem has to have,
To be sure, to ensure.
Something more of a poet’s own heart, mind
and soul,
Art, acumen and craft,
His inner self, his dream, his vision,
his fancy, fantasy,
Agony, anguish and ecstasy,
his Feeling and leaning,
his compulsion and commotion.
All moulded into an ‘alchemy’
As poet "Tilak" has stated.
A poem should appear to have happened
Not like the contrived to happen
For name, fame, reward or award.
Speak in words as calm as a whisper
Not in tone but intone.
As poet "Archibald
Macleish" has for it
So aptly and appropriately sworn.
