“A River” By A.K.Ramanujan

                                         “A River”

        

             

                   Attipate Krishnaswami Ramanujan is one of the best poets scholars and playwright in Indian English writing. he is more famous as a poet in English literature. he has written many creative and analytical poems. the present poem “ A River” written by Ramanujan too. the poem is taken from the book “collected poems” more specifically the poem appears in book one. the striders in this book . the poem begins with the following words like,

             

                                                                    “ In Madurai, city of temples and poets …… every summer a river dries to a trickle in the sand”

        

   

           Madurai of Tamil-Nadu in South India is a holly city. it is full of temples and poets . A River named vaikai flaws through this city. the poets of ancient times. as well as a modern time have written poems on this city and her temples. they have also written on the river and flood.

            

                              A.K.Ramanujan says about the river vaikai in this poem. however his views are different about the river. generally  , the poets write and compose songs of Paris about a river. they talk only about the waterfall river and its beauty and sensuality. but Ramanujan highlights. the second side of the river. he says that no doubt the river floods once in monsoon season but soon it dries when the water is not there in the river. at that time one can see the of river. there are straws and women’s hair in the bottom. all these rubbish blacks the rusted water great Ramanujan further states ;

“ ……… the wet stones glistening like sleepy crocodile the dry ones shaven water- buffaloes……”

             In the summer , when the river dries at that time, the wet stones looked like sleepy crocodiles and dry stones look like shaven lazy buffaloes. who are enjoying sun both however, all these situations are never highlighted by typical poets. they just talk about flood and waterful river.

           In the poem “ A River” Ramanujan shows another side of river . he open highlights the destruction caused by a river. he says,

“………… It carried off the village houses, one pregnant woman and a couple of cows named Gopi and Brinda…..”

                 Here, in the above lines, the poet talks about his experience of flood once he was there when the river was flooded , people were very scored and worried about rising water. but the typical poets have not noticed. the pain and suffering of the people. they just wrote about the beauty of river and water. however , the beauty of river and water. here, Ramanujan is not concerned about river. he is worried about the destruction of village houses, one pregnant woman with twins and two cows Ramanujan sarcastically writes.

“ The new poets , still quoted the old poets, but no one spoke in verse of the pregnant woman ……”

               

               Basically, Ramanujan wants to criticize the indifferent attitude of poets. they are least concerned about the suffering woman and her twins inside her womb. they haven’t show any care for animals and homeless people . they are very casual and carfare .

                Finally, the poem concludes with ironical exposition by Ramanujan about all poets. according to him both the groups of poets, past and present are carfare and indifferent to human suffering. the poet A.K.Ramanujan has ironically exposed the heartless attitude of the old and new poets.