Tughlaq

                                              Tughlaq

         

      This play is written by Girish Karnad, is Indian English writer who has written this play first in Kannada then he himself translate it into English. He is a playwright of ‘Yayati’ and ‘Hayavadana’  great contemporary plays  which present Indian social, cultural, historical ,philosophical and political issues.

        

         ‘Tughlaq’ is also based on political atmosphere and also deals with historical background. Sultan Muhammad –Bin-Tughlaq is the main character of this play and story is interwoven with his action through the play. The play also takes it center to power and position, there are many other characters who support power and position in life.

    

           At every step, the play reflects the chaos, disillusionment and corruption that followed the Nehru era and this is one of the most important reasons of the popularity of the play. Tughlaq ruled in the 14^th century and Nehru  in the 1950s and 1960s striking parallels can easily be drawn between the two ages. This makes ‘Tughlaq’  a great  political allegory. It tells the story of the reign of Tughlaq, ruler  of Delhi. He was a visionary and an idealist as well as crafty political figure. His plan to make Devati the second administrative  capital of his empire which was renamed ‘Daulatabad’. Sultan also has made an announcement to shift his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad. Tughlaq was  an intelligent scholar. visioner, well read but because of his hunger of throne he commits patricide and fratricide. He believes in Divine and rule. Karnad weave the story of Azam and Aziz with the story of Tughlaq and creating suspense by giving the happy fate of Aziz.

         

Ode on Solitude by Pope

                                             

                                      Ode on Solitude

              

             ‘Ode on Solitude’ is a poem written by Alexander Pope, English poet best known for his satirical verse and translation of  Homer. This poem has written when he was twelve years old, Pope is famous for his use of heroic couplet and this poem is sets in very peaceful mood and relaxed language. Initially in the poem poet talks about ‘Solitude’ which expresses the glory of being alone and   you are happy in lonely life. If we  don’t  love solitude , we don’t love freedom. Only  when we are  alone, we are free. Solitude is painful in youth but delicious in maturity. Solitude is not same as loneliness, it is the solitary boat floating in the sea of possible companions which gives you real sense of your own  self.

         

           In this poem,  poet talks about freedom from all the responsibility and rule of society that a person should be free from all the social norms who is happy in his native land like a farmer.  Pope talks about his lonely life is unfortunate because he has to live away but the poet considered the life of the farmer a fortunate one as he get the chance to breath his native air and he also get the opportunity to live in motherland. In second stanza he emphasis more that a farmer is lucky that he get bread from his own field and when sun annoy him in summer trees are there to provide him ‘shade’. He says that how society interferes in life of a person but when we think out of the society we are in solitude.

        

       By the third stanza poet talks about people who are struggles to find food in modern life while farmers can easily take all the things to drink and eat who doesn’t care about society and live their life as they want. People believe that solitude is a curse but Pope says that is a bliss as its beat stage of life. Such people who live in solitude care about themselves only not for others. He talks about leisure life ‘sound sleep’ of farmers.

                                

                                       “Thus unlamented let me die,

                                         steal from the world and not a stone

                                           Tell where I lie”

    

          In last stanza,  poet wants life and death  which ‘unknown ‘and ‘unseen’ from the society. Poem reflects the real problems of the life of an individual that how society always interfere in their life.

      

Prayer Before Birth

                                 Prayer Before Birth

   

             Louise MacNeice has written this poem for a Child who is yet not born the . Child must be in the womb of the mother and before facing the world the Child prays to God. The poem  in that sense is a prayer of as unborn child who is yet to come in the world.

   

           In the very first line of the very first stanza the unborn child urges to God

                                   “ I am not yet born, oh hear me.”

The child request to God to listen what child  is complaining and says to God to protect him from “Blood Sucking Bat” and from those who may appear to him like “choul” and also the deeds of such devil like person and want from God not to let such person “come near to me”. Again in the starting of the second stanza unborn child request God ‘to console him’ and expressing his fear regarding ‘tall walls’ built by men through ‘tall walls’ child talks about the rules and regulations of society and said to protect him from ‘wise lies’.

   

        In the third stanza, child request to God ‘to provide him with water that can purify his  sins, grass that can grow for him, tree that can talk with him , sky that sing for him and also birds and light. Then , the child ask for forgiveness for the sins that will cultivate in him by the time and for treason that may engendered in him. Child asks to rehears him for roles that he has to ply when   elders lectures him, desert calls him a doom , beggar refuses his gift and his own child curse him.

         

          In last stanza, child request to fill him with strength against those who freeze ‘humanity’, those who  dissipate eternity and to survive himself when he is in such hands that  holds him like a water and ‘spill him’. In last two lines urges to God That                       

                                          “let them not make me a stone

                                           let them not spill me

                                           otherwise kill me”

his fear to survive in selfish and cruel world, he has to became stone. So he request to god  ‘kill  me  over not to let him witness of selfishness and cruelty of the world. Thus, this poem is about a unborn child who expresses emotions that worried about his present and future that he does not want to corrupt his soul in this world.                 

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