A century ago, T S Eliot wrote about the hollowness of his countrymen in a poem titled The Hollow Men . The World War I had led to a lot of disillusionment with the collapse of powerful empires and the savagery of the war itself which unleashed barbaric slaughter. The generation that survived was known as the “Lost Generation.” Before the war, Western civilisation was sustained by certain values and principles given by religion, the Enlightenment, and Victorian morality. The war showed that science and technology, which could improve life, had actually produced machine guns, gas warfare, and mass death. Religion became hollow. People became hollow. “We are the hollow men,” Eliot’s poem began. The civilisation looked sophisticated from outside, but it was empty inside. There is a lot of religion today in the world. My country has allegedly become so religious that it decides what you will eat, wear, which god you will pray to, and even the language for communication. The ultimat...
Really nice especially words can create reality. I am watching house of cards and can do relate this to Kevin spacey's role.
ReplyDeleteI'm watching it in our own country now :)
DeleteOrator is like magician which can take in you in different world. Good post.
ReplyDeleteThere are two kinds of orators: 1. people become frenzied after listening to this type. People can kill, set anybody or anything on fire. 2. People meditate. Here I'm presenting an orator who is a magician. You are right. But his magic may not work long. Pakistan is giving him a tough time. China may be behind it all.
DeleteLove the way you arranged it Tomichan (Mike, words rushes out, juggle, water drops....). Simply superb. Really enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteActually I'm not a poet, Gowthama. I'm a fool who tries to weave the weft and warp of what politicians leave us fools.
DeleteI can see for whom you have written this :) Hope and pray this reality is no illusion for juggling words without substance is nothing more than a fiction.. Nice lines, indeed..
ReplyDeleteI know you understand, Roohi. Words carry meaning only when they come from the heart. Politics cannot have heart. That's why I'm fascinated by the Mahabharata and I have written two stories already based on it. Last two stories of mine in the blog. This orator-hero of the poem made me look at the epic once again. I'm afraid he won't take us far. He blamed his predecessor as deaf and dumb, as a puppet, when the latter failed to act impulsively or talk eloquently whenever there were provocations at the border. What is our hero doing now?
DeleteHmm.. I read those stories and loved your narration.. I m no fan of him either but I would not comment at this point. Its too early. He has proved that he is not mute like his predecessor. But whether his words carry weight or are shallow will be best told by his 5 year tenure. This is just first year :) I sincerely pray and hope that he will walk all his talks as we as a nation needs a leader with steel spine after so many years of independence and under development..
Deleteloved the imagery of water drops falling in sunlight.
ReplyDeleteWe are now living through both, Datta: moist sunlight.
DeleteI am waiting for the orator to be unmasked - Balu
ReplyDeleteMasks will fall one day, Balu. No doubt about it. Even the Tamils' Amma couldn't sustain her mask! Bihar's Lalu couldn't. Bengal's Left couldn't. Now Bengal's grassroots mother with Mother Teresa sari as a shielding mask for her entire body also won't manage...
DeleteOh yes, they do create reality.They create magic as well. Your words are powerful too.
ReplyDeleteSo, Namrata, are you saying I have no right to poke at the Orator since I am also a kind of orator? :) Just kidding :)
DeleteOf course, how one uses the words, that's important.
ReplyDeleteOh thats absolutely true,words can create reality.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise there wouldn't have been histories!
DeleteWords really have great power...they can create both magic and misery... nicely penned Sir... :-)
ReplyDeleteBoth magic and misery - yes, Maniparna, words have the potential for both...
DeleteBeautiful :) Yes, I have learnt that too. Reality or fantasy, mundane or magic... words have that capacity to create. Loved this!
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