Zafar Ahmad Rashed,
one of the major poets of mid 1990s’ Bangladesh, loves to compose poetry at an interval. Consequently, he has only three collections of poetry namely #KacherChuriBalirPahar, #Jaggyajatrakale, #Donamona & #CelederMeyederShnanerShobdo
This review will analyze some poems from Donamona (Hesitations), published in 2011.
The volume comprises 56 pomes.Amid them, mostly are prose-poems while rests are in free verse.The question may come why I have chosen Donamona to discuss. I have an answer ready that the compositions of Donamona have regaled me with their strength and variety. In addition to, I repeatedly fall in love with symbolic expressions of poetry which Rashed has brilliantly delivered through his compositions. Someone who would like to understand Rashed’s poetry in one reading will be in trouble because it needs to go throughhis poems afresh and afresh to bring out the real tasteand meaning hidden in dense symbolization. In this regard, I would like to recollect the way Arthur Rimbaud, one of the most influential French poets of 20th century, composed poetry. As far as I know Rimbaud was the best among the poets who successfully wrote poetry maintaining continuous symbolization. and no doubt, Rashed, without awkwardness, deciphers his new ideas or thoughts symbolically.In this phase, I would attempt to analyze some poems from #Donamona unveil Rashed’s substantiality as a poet. The book opens with a prose-poem entitled ‘SheeterStyann’ (Breast of Winter) indicating the emptiness of contemporary time which will not support us rather betray. Here in this poem, winter is compared with death.
A few pages later, another prose-poem entitled ‘Premik O Nirmata’ (Lover and Maker) purveys us some images which, I think, readers need to feel, not to analyze because the images Rashed has infused in the poem will be solely lost in any kind of broader explanation.
By the same token, readers may take into account ‘UttsorgerGalpo’ (Story of Dedication)
which takes us to an unavoidable reality of our life-journey. A tiny, haiku-like poem ‘Mulbindo’ (Main Dot) helps us learn and realize the inner truth of a moral that ‘miserliness is the key pitfall to any kind of broad-mindedness.’
‘Aswatha O Mandir’ (Aswatha Tree and Temple), a densely symbolic poem, speaks up about the wrongdoings of human beings. Sometimes we ourselves invite bad time and are responsible for our own destruction. This poem certainly awakens our conscience. Again, ‘ProthomDekha’ (First Meeting) draws an abstract picture of the deterioration of contemporary society. In the same way, ‘Rupantor’ (Metamorphosis) uncovers the problems of the rapid and radical cultural changes of our society which remind us we are in the process of forgetting our root. ‘Baba O Bahir’ (Father and Outside)
symbolically informs us nowadays our children are being brought up in a way a bonsai grows up in a tub. As a result, just to cross doorstep means a lot to them. Furthermore, the poems such as ‘Megher Dim’ (Egg of Rain), ‘Balloon’ (Balloon), ‘UnmukhNabhi’ (Unveiled Belly Button),
Upasamhar’ (Conclusion) etc. are capable of dishing out a surrealistic flavour among the readers.
Through the poems, Rashed attempts to surpass time to project upcoming realism. And to do so, he has engaged himself in a journey to bring into focus the irrelevancies of present time. His surrealistic thoughts and expressionistic vision helped him reach the destination.
Readers will smell of silent satire his poetry ironically deciphers. However, to capture the essence of his poetry and philosophy, one ought to read all the poems of Rashed altogether. Rashed’s poems include some grave themes. In a few words, he laments the evaporation of humanity, ethnicity and solidarity from us; he brings out why people hesitate to speak the truth; he fingers at our antipathetic attitude towards social values; he projects a world where two men, sitting side by side, question each other where their destination is. Overall, he ironically focuses on the absurd aspects of human journey. And to do so, he extensively uses symbolism.
He engages readers to stop and think with the symbols he uses.
The diction he develops has a pictorial quality. The images he has used create a different kind of world before our eyes. His language does not give us pain rather sharpens our feelings in many ways. In a word, his poetry is a juxtaposition of both optimism and pessimism. I hope the following verse in my translation will, at least, provide readers with a glimpse of his outstanding language:
Still remains much appeal, much youth
My heart helps me lie down
And tells that birth and death are same, two sides of the same coin
The only exception is appeal or youth
Then desires to go back to the deepest of the bush of deep fire!
Written By
Tusar Talukder
is a critic & Professor of Central Women’s University Dhaka.
