While natural and grammatical language is used in prose, poetic language is figurative and symbolic
UNICEF has declared March 21 of every year as World Poetry Day, with a chosen theme. It is devoted to supporting linguistic diversity using poetic expression. In 2022, the theme was ‘environment’. Last year it was ‘Always a poet, even in prose’ and this year, the theme was ‘Standing on the shoulders of giants’. Poetry is used to evoke emotions, create imagery, and convey ideas in a highly structured and imaginative manner. It has rhythm (using two or more syllables), metre (point of emphasis), and emotional resonance, where the emotion of the poet is felt by the reader or singer and appeals to the heart and mind more effectively. It has a sense of economy, embellishment, and rhythm. It is often singable. Note for example our own national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’, a poem written by Rabindranath Tagore, which we all sing with gusto and pride. At the same time, many of us also remember, hear and sing sad songs in our own languages.
The World Poetry Day 2022 focussed on endangered languages, their poems, prose and songs. Across the world, more than 7,000 languages are endangered. In India, according to UNESCO, 42 Indian languages (spoken by less than 10,000 people) are endangered. Since 2013, India has initiated a scheme for the protection and preservation of endangered languages in the country. The site ‘endangered languages in India’ offers a list of these languages such as the Great Andamanese, Tibetic Balti, and the Asur of Jharkhand. The Society for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL) at Mysuru is actively engaged in the area.
World Poetry Day 2023 had the theme: Always a poet, even in prose. Shakespeare was an outstanding example. Even his prose had a poetic lilt to it. Here are some examples: ‘Brevity is the soul of wit’; and ‘my words fly up, but my thoughts remain below’. Similar poems in Hindi, Urdu and Tamil have been written by several scholars.
Why write a poem when we can use prose to express what we wish to have in mind? While the language used in prose is natural and grammatical, poetic language is figurative and symbolic. Oxford Scholastica Academy points out that poetry is a form of literary expression that uses language. And as the Encyclopedia Britannica says, in poetry you carefully choose and arrange language for its meaning, sound and rhythm. While reading or listening to poetry, the ‘pleasure centre’ in your brain is actively engaged in searching for symbolism and interpreting metaphors.
Scientists and poetry
The site ‘Scientists take on poetry’ points out that the mathematician Ada Lovelace, the chemist Humphry Davy and the physicist James Maxwell wrote poems about their work in India, S.S. Bhatnagar wrote poems in Hindi. C.V. Raman, though not a poet, was interested in the scientific basis of musical sounds in violins and wrote “Experiments with mechanically played violins”, which was published in the Proceedings of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science in 1920. He also studied the uniqueness of Indian drums. His analyses of the harmonic nature of the sounds of tabla and mridangam were the first scientific studies on Indian percussion. Likewise, the physicist S.N. Bose played the string instrument esraj. The naturalist Salim Ali (Birdman of India) wrote many books on the birds of India. And the electronic engineer Rangarajan (with the pen name ‘Sujatha’) wrote excellent books and articles in Tamil, which are widely appreciated for his language skills. Should there not be more scientists who write poems and essays on music?
Published – September 14, 2024 09:10 pm IST
