5. Soft
Storm
About the Poet:
A prolific
poet, playwright, and critic, Abhi Subedi (1945) has remained one of the
eminent personalities in the field of literature in Nepal. Born in Sabla
village of Terhathum district, Subedi has written several plays including
Dreams of Peach Blossoms (2001) and Fire in the Monastery (2003). Subedi, who
taught at the Central Department of English, Tribhuvan University, for around
40 years, has poetry collections like Manas (1974) and Chasing Dreams:
Kathmandu Odyssey (1996) and Shabdara Chot (1997) to his credit.
Summary:
Abhi
Subedi's Soft Strom' is depicted in free verse with a beautiful blend of
natural and social description. On the surface level, it depicts the journey of
the speaker through narrowlane and lightening of Kathmandu city at night but in
its deeper sense, it projects people's indifference feelings towards miserable
conditions and sufferings of the people, male practices, tumult atmosphere,
chaos in the Nepalese society. In the opening stanza, the poet first portrays
environmental disorder in the Nepalese society through words like tumult, eerie
etc. and then he moves to hopeful situation with the phrase "sky grew like
crocuses' indicating blooming of Irish flowering family plants over stones.
These plants grow five inches taller. When the moon is about to pass away, he
speaks the language of posters and politics and about several social
activities. It means to state people's discussion about social activities as
they present in front of each other. By combining both natural and social
atmosphere, he becomes soft again as he sees the softness of rose like a gale'
from his roofs. Through this simile, he combines two opposite ideas like softness
of rose and a strong wind and attacks over the several social malpractices of
the people in the society. Then, he presents singing of the moon and lightening
with seamless city which means city with easy and comfortable atmosphere for
some people.
In the
second stanza, he presents homeless and parentless children in grim poverty and
crying for food and shelter in Thamel. Through this, he attacks the corrupted
political leaders who just think of themselves and their families, not of their
poor citizens and orphans. These future pillar are in risk and in miserable
conditions. Social evils prevailed in the country is one of the major causes of
all this. On the other hand, as he returns from such a melee (confusing place)
where people were dancing with mad steps, parties and ceremonies in
skyscrapers, big hotels, he recollects his past days when people were free to
enjoy real spirit of freedom. larthe third stanza, he becomes soft hearted
again as he visualizes a forlon (sad and hopeless) child carrying a transistor
around his neck is wailing and is searching for his mother here and there. The
child is panic. A man is beaten mercilessly before his family members for no
specific reason. It states that in this modern era people are indifference to
each other and dominance is prevalent everywhere. These lawless activities
makes the speaker rebellious against the system. In the fourth stanza, the poet
talks about a man with blood-stained shirt and bruised human lips is unable to
speak any thing as his voice is locked by the powerful inhabitants in the night
time. The game of hide and seek is associated with the landowners and the
workers. In the fifth stanza, he states about the words, not listened and
storms but not waited for its Leela or a divine play.
In the sixth
stanza, the poet states optimistic feeling for the inhabitants through grown up
Irish flowering plants over the stone, storms moving to the public places and
the sun shining with its different colours like rainbowThe other references
like soft storm, silent pages, forlorn shirts, celebrations for the gods etc
are chaotic situation as they are under control of disturbing rulers of the
nation. • In the seventh stanza, he presents several causes of his soft heart
such as invaluable things, indifference and selfish activities of the modern
men, lawless activities, disturbed and spoiled mother earth due to human
misbehaviors, and painful life of other poor creatures In the last stanza, the
speaker concludes the poem stating that he needs freedom not only for himself
but also for all the creatures of this mother earth. He favours the beautiful
and calm sky and wants to dance freely without any social restrictions with
natural sweet music of soft storm and melodious singing of the birds making a
circle round and round VLLOGU
Understanding the text
a)
When
does the speaker grow soft? Enlist the occasions when he grows soft.
The speaker grows soft in several
occasions such as when he hears the tumult, the sky grows like crocuses, the
moon skids down, homeless children cry due to hunger, a forlorn child cries and
searches for his mother, a man beaten mercilessly and so on. b. What do you
understand by 'this seamless city'? By this seamless city' means a city where
inhabitants can walk freely without any social interruptions or problems and
realize the real fruits of freedom and happiness beyond partiality. c. Describe
the poor children portrayed in the poem. Poor homeless and parentless children
cry due to hunger and poverty under the bat-bearing trees of Kesharmahal in
Thamel. They are deprived of their fundamental rights mentioned in the
constitution.
b)
What
do you understand by ‘this seamless city’?
In this poem the phrase ‘this
seamless city’ means the place having no awkward transition and interruptions.
c)
Describe
the poor children portrayed in the poem.
The poor children cry with hunger
in the street of Thamel.
d)
What
do you understand by the unwedded gardens of history'?
By 'unwedded gardens of history'
means the past unflourished incidences of the society which literally means
lawless disturbed chaos situation created by social and political hegemony in
the Nepalese society. e. Why was the forlorn child wailing? A forlorn child was
wailing because he found his mother and other kins and dear ones missing in the
contemporary society. f. What do you understand by 'soft storm'? The two
opposite words 'soft storm' combined by Abhi Subedi title to his peom, means
inner disturbed feelings of the poet du lawless society and chaos environment.
A storm simply means bad weather but connecting soft with it means tumultuous
atm which the poet sees in the contemporary society.
e)
Why
was the forlorn child wailing?
The forlorn child was wailing to
find his mother in the corridors of the violent history.
f)
What
do you understand by ‘soft storm’?
By 'soft storm' we understand the
inner turbulent feelings of the speaker in an environment of chaotic society
and chaos. Storm simply means bad weather but to associate soft with it
means turbulent times which the poet sees in contemporary society.
g)
Why
does the speaker call our time 'mad time'?
The speaker calls our time as
'mad time' in the sense it i not under control of the constitution or the law
of the nation. He finds corruption, partiality, political and social injustice
among the people, animal laws in practice and degradation of nature everywhere
in the society. h. What does the speaker want to do in "hard times"?
The speaker wants to melt like a rainbow in 'hard times' because he is soft
hearted by nature.
Reference to the context:
a)
The
poet uses the word 'soft' with the words like 'storm' and 'gale', which
generally refer to disorder and violence. What effect does the poet achieve
through the use of such anomalous expressions?
A sentence that is syntactically
well formed but semantically meaningless is called anomalous expression.
The best-known example in the
poem is 'soft storm' and 'softness rose like a gale it is inconsistent with
what is usual, normal, or expected and is paradoxical in nature. Through this,
the poet obtains psychological, social, political and environmental effects. He
connects two opposite ideas to express his inner experiences that he feels and
realizes in the contemporary suppressed society. b. What is the speaker's
attitude towards the time he describes in the poem? The poem has been set in
the night time when the moon is shining in the sky which itself is shadowed or
not as bright as shinning Sun. The speaker's attitude towards time is not as
good as he finds no particular work in particular times conducted by humans.
Time itself is mad in the sense it is cylindrical in shape and moves in round
framework and is under control of none. He finds hard times everywhere, where
ng Auto expected things take place. Thus, the speaker has not positive attitude
with the time in the poem.
b)
What
is the speaker like? Is he a rebel? Why? Why not?
The speaker looks like a rebel.
His situation is as same as the animals in 'Animal Farm' by D.H. Lawrence as
they are waiting for appropriate time to revolt and this nature of revolt is
found in suppressed form. Social, familial political and environmental
circumstances are responsible to be him so. As a rebel, he seems to challenge
authority and break the rules every now and then but his rebellious nature is
not presented in radical form rather it is presented in soft and suppressed
form in the poem. Explain the stanza below in your own words : I became soft
when I saw a blood-stained shirt speaking in the earth's ears with bruised
human lips in the far corner under the moon of history and dreams playing hide
and seek in open museums of human times. These given lines are from fourth
stanza of the poem Soft Storm' by Abhi Subedi where the poet talks about a man
with blood-stained shirt and bruised human lips who is unable to speak any
thing as his Auto is locked by the powerful inhabitants in the night time. The
game of hide and seek is associated with the landowners and the workers where
the rights of the workers are under control of the land owners Miserable
condition of the poor and marginalized ones is expressed through the given
lines.
Reference beyond the
context
a.
Write
an essay, highlighting your dissatisfaction towards social, cultural, economic
and political issues prevailing in Nepal at present.
Social, cultural, Economic and Political
Issues Prevailing in Nepal:
A large section of the population in Nepal
cannot access political participation and representation to public affairs and
obtain social and cultural equality due to economic and social conditions,
social stigma and lack of access to information among other reasons. Political
Issues: I oppose this competitive multiparty democratic system of governance
which is not stable by its nature and rule of law, human rights and fundamental
rights mentioned in the constitution, only named independence and free and fair
judiciary as these things are only projected in the documents, not in the
practical life of the people. The political leaders are just playing the game
of dirty politics violating the rights of the people and constitution Social
and Economic Issues: Old caste system like Dalits is the most discriminated
people under this system who suffer from restriction and economic opportunities
in the society. I totally disagree with such sort of social system in the
country. There is wide spread corruption everywhere and nepotism and
favouritism are prevalent in the society. Although the UN estimates that
poverty in Nepal has been dropping down gradually but a quarter of the
population are still below the poverty line. Cultural Issues Auto-F Gender
inequality, discrimination against women, girls trafficking, violence against
women and many more are the obstacles of the current society I am not satisfied
with.
c)
Suppose
you are a rebel, who wants to change the society by eliminating malpractices
and anomalies prevailing in the society. Draft a speech outlining your vision
for change.
Good morning, everyone!
Respected ladies and
gentlemen and my dear friends
I am Sundar Shrestha and
today we have gathered here against malpractices and anomalies being practiced
in the society and how they are becoming hurdles for our country's development
Some of the common social malpractices or social evils being practiced in our
society are alcoholism, racism, child abuse, etc. Besides, Nepal is facing a
large number of social problems such as caste system, child labor, child
marriage, illiteracy, gender inequality, superstitions, religious conflicts and
much more. Social evils are the issues opposed by most people of the society.
In ancient days, our ancestors have divided classes according to their people's
occupation like Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Sudras are the most
suppressed people. The other three castes people don't even touch them and even
they were not allowed into the temples. These were the adverse effects. The second
issue is child labor and child marriage. A child without education is a bird
without wings. Without proper education, your child would face a lot of problem
in this modern world. There is the right age to do everything. Make your
children study until he is ready for the work. Illiteracy is also one of the
social issues. Educated people like us have to bring awareness to the
illiterate people.
Poverty is a significant problem to be solved as quick as
possible. The cause of poverty is illiteracy, caste system, and unemployment.
The government should provide training for the unemployed. Sanitation and
uncleanliness is also a social evil. The reason is people's carelessness and
laziness. Every person must strive to make our country clean. Gender inequality
and low status for women had become familiar. The reason for both of these
evils is the narrow mindset of society. All these evils are interconnected.
They stop most of our future citizens. To deal with these social evils, we have
to get the right education with values. The government has to work more
efficiently and try to eradicate these problems. To check all the issues, the
first and the foremost step should be to educate people. A lot needs to be done
to eradicate the shreds of a number of social evils still haunting our society.
In Albert Einstein's words 'The world is dangerous place to live, not because
of the people who are evil but because of the people who don't do anything
about it." With this, I conclude my speech. Thank you, everyone, and I
wish you all the best and to get succeed in your objectives of eradicating
these social malpractices from the society as soon as possible.
***
