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Politics and Poetry


Poetry begins where science ends. “What flower is that over there?” The gardener will answer, “A lily.” That’s a plain factual statement. The botanist will tell you that the flower belongs to the order of Hexandria monogynia. That is science. Edmund Spenser says, “It is the lady of the garden.” Spenser is a poet. Ben Jonson, another poet, calls it “the plant and flower of light.” Jesus asked his followers to take a lesson from the lily: “They toil not, nor do they spin. Yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." That is spirituality.

There is poetry in spirituality. In fact, poetry is another form of spirituality. A few weeks back, I wrote in this very same space that “If [poet] Keats cared to establish a religion, its deity would have been Beauty.” When Jesus equated himself (god) with Truth, Keats equated Beauty with Truth. Wordsworth found similar truth and sanctity in Nature. Isn’t every genuine poet on a spiritual quest?

But poetic truths are not scientific truths. Science sees hydrogen and oxygen molecules in water. The poet listens to the music of the water laughing down a mountain slope. The poet perceives a different truth. Poetic truths begin where the molecules stop.

What about politics? There is as much in common between politics and poetry as between kerosene and sugar though both kerosene and sugar have in them carbon and hydrogen molecules. Politicians and poets are both human beings. But the similarity quite ends there.

Politics is about power. About manipulations. Distortions. Invasions. Aggressions. The base side of humanity. And ubiquitous taxes.

Poetry is about truth. Beauty. Imagination. Intuition. Contemplation. The refined side of humanity.

If a politician can nurture a poet within, it will do him and his country much good. The bigot in Vajpayee was held under control by the poetry in his heart. The dominant politicians in today’s India will do a lot better with a little poetry in their hearts.

Poetry makes better human beings than religions and gods do. You will find criminals and terrorists among religious believers, not among poets. Can we inject some poetry in the veins of our political leaders?  

PS. Written for Indispire Edition 419: Poetry is the language of the heart? Do you think making poetry-reading compulsory for our politicians can make the country a little better place? #PoetryInPolitics

 

 

 

Comments

  1. Chinmayee Gayatree SahuAugust 21, 2022 at 10:36 AM

    What a beautiful & innovative way to reform Political scenario! Wish poetry helps such power hungry brains ! I absolutely enjoyed reading it 😊

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalAugust 21, 2022 at 11:28 AM

      "The poet and politician in me are often locked in a duel and both win and lose occasionally," Vajpayee once said. I know for certain that the poet in him did him much good.

      Delete
  2. Yamini MacLeanAugust 21, 2022 at 3:39 PM

    Hari OM
    I am certain that many politicians read (and may even scribble) poetry... the problem lies in how they chose to interpret what they read... and always with a view to how it justifies their stance rather than moderates it. YAM xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalAugust 21, 2022 at 4:54 PM

      Probably yes. I'm inclined towards scepticism, however. Anyone who has poetry in heart cannot be a politician - not a successful one - in today's world - my hypothesis.

      Delete
  3. vanderloostAugust 23, 2022 at 6:32 PM

    Don't think so. Politician will misuse poetry for his own power goals and poets will make worst politicians.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalAugust 23, 2022 at 9:16 PM

      Yeah, like the devil quoting the scriptures. But what I think is if we can get poetry into the genes of the politicians...

      Delete
  4. vanderloostAugust 25, 2022 at 7:52 AM

    Yes. But very unlikely amalgamation

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousOctober 13, 2022 at 1:09 PM

    Thank you for writing this, Sir. Loved this-//Poetry is about truth. Beauty. Imagination. Intuition. Contemplation. The refined side of humanity.// This comes as a reminder of why I started a poetry website in the first place. I think I have moved away slightly from my original notion while trying to understand the different aspects of the blogging world. I have had my fair share of learning. It's high time I get back to work on what I had envisioned. Once again, thank you so much for penning this. :)

    ReplyDelete

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