Pon.Selvaganapathy on Nature

PON.SELVAGANAPATHY ON NATURE

The poet has a unique way of perceiving nature and portraying natural objects.The poem"A blanket of snow"depicts the autobiography of a flower.
The flower tells that it had woven a blanket of snow and had given it to the sun.It doubts whether it will be able to weave blankets again or will stand aloof. It further narrates that it has blossomed in the warmth of the sunlight and the bee had sucked the honey possessed by it. It questions in anguish whether it will blossom again or will get dried up by the bees.
The poet wishes to strike an element of pathos. The pathetic note of the flower that it has produced something and has lost is notable here. It had woven a blanket of snow, which had been forcibly taken by the mighty sun. It has prepared or produced some honey, which has been procured or taken away by the mischievous bee. Now the flower is expecting its fall or natural death.In this poem it seems that the poet wishes to narrate an allegorical story so as to give a message to us.
Here the flower is the proletariat, Government is the mighty sun, and bee is the capitalist. The blanket of snow or the dream for better prospects by the proletariat is removed by the government (the mighty sun) through its rigid laws (hot rays) not assuring proper working conditions. The harsh reality (i.e.warm light )makes him blossom as a proletariat. Again the fruits of labour (the honey) is taken away by the capitalist (the bee). Working in vain the proletariat is expecting his end (fall) in a frustrated mood. This allegory reveals the poet’s commitment to socialistic views.

Another poem "Flower"(p48) describes the one-day life of a flower. The flower blossoms in the morning sending its fragrance everywhere. As the day grew up the smooth texture of the flower gets changed. The hot sun destroys the form and vigour of the flower. In the evening the flower gets completely dried up loosing its fragrance and life. The poem ends with the following lines:

Everywhere darkness crept up
The flower became an object of philosophy.

This short poem consisting of sixteen lines describes the birth, growth and death of a flower thorough reading of the poem suggests that the poet uses the flower as a symbol and wishes to emphasise the mortality. The last two lines of the poem above cited stand as an evidence of the poet's’motive.

This shorter poem may seem as a gist of the famous poem "Veena poovu" (A fallen flower) by Kumaran asan.Selvaganapathy does not know Malayalam and he has never heard of this famous poem of Kumaran asan. But there is a striking similarity in the tone and content of these two poems. The critical remarks of K.M.George about VeenaPoovu suitably fits for Selvaganapathy’s "Flower".
"Now what is the nature of the poem? Has it anything to do with this mundane life and what follows thereafter? In every language,scores of poems will be found on flowers.In fact it will be difficult to spot out a poet who has not felt and written about the charm of flowers.They are the most wildly used poetic material.But few have considered a fallen flower,about to be submerged in the mud,and forgotten fit subject for poetry."

Another poem "Flowers"(pp66-67), describes the aesthetic pleasure derived on seeing a peagant of flowers in a garden which drive the poet into ecstasy.
How many flowers are
There in the beautiful garden?
How many variety of colours
The flowers have in their bodies?
In the flowers that laugh
I see the smile of Buddha
The garden with flowers
Teaches me many lessons
The maiden Rose with thorns
Willfully does a penance
For what?
Is it to seeThe charming face of Nehru?
You cluster of flowers
Who carry the sweet honey
Come on!
Decorate!
SuperbSplendid damsels’ many!
The poet attains bliss in the company of flowers, bliss that is not easily attainable either to the spiritualists or to the materialists. He describes flowers as angels from the heaven. He finds in them a source of inspiration for his creativity. To brief,the poem "Flowers" stand as a magnificent example for the poet’s aesthetic sense.

The poem on "Rain"(pp69-70) is a pen-portrayal of rain and the natural setting created by it.When the black clouds assemble the lightning and thunder appear the flocks of various birds flee away in the sky. This scene reminds the poet, the scene of a festival in a thickly populated city, where people are moving here and there, in all directions, busy with their activities. In the fields the paddy has grown well because of the rain and the plants stand in an erect position.

The poet thinks that the paddy is much proud and does not want to see the earth. It is looking at the sky as if it has no equals in the earth. The trees and creepers are dancing to the tune of wind which seems to the poet that they are expressing their thanks to the rain. On seeing the rainy clouds the peacocks begin to dance and the cuckoos are singing. Rain is a boon, a gift to the mountains, rivers and the earth. The lightning is the green flag to announce the arrival of rain Everybody becomes brisk and busy on the rainy season.

The poet succeeds in giving a pen-portrayal of the rainy day and the natural setting created by it. The chickens run to protect their chicks and the mothers look for their kids On seeing the sky darken with black clouds people rush to their homes as fast as a storm.The poet greets the rain as it brings wealth and prosperity to the mankind.
This poem reminds us of the poems of Bharatidasaan in the volume "Smile of Beauty"(azhagin cirippu).
The poem "Skylark" is written as a monologue by the bird.The bird tells that it is flying up in the sky to get love as a raindrop and to plunge in the sunlight. It wants to forget all its sufferings and therefore thinks sky is the proper place for it. There is no body to praise or condemn it. It also seems that it has experienced a failure in its love and hence determined not to return to the earth. This monologue by Skylark -even though it is imaginary- kindles sympathy towards Skylark as well as to those who had a failure in their love.