by Anisur RahmanEchoing the voice of Bangladesh’s important author Syed Shamsul Haq, most powerful talent in the tradition of post-Tagore Bengali literature, I would like to say, ‘Writing is a habit’. A devoted talent in poetry is expected to nurse this habit with all his commitment. When such a talent is seen busy with performance in the name of performing poetry or whatever we call today in the west ‘Poetry Slam’ or so, he is consciously or unconsciously in the habit of performance as well. I am not dismissing the necessity of performing poetry. The business is not for a genuine poet. The talent who has prospect to be a talent in performance, he will be performing poetry. Poetry is a serious business. It deserves whole heated attention.
As writing is a sort of discipline, a regime, a kind of spell that compels a person to write, he should not divide this state between writing and performing. The emotions, feelings, and sensibilities that are evoked in person’s heart give rise to a strong surge of desire for expression—and writing is the only way to overcome the storm that rises within a person as such Syed Shamsul Haq says. I agree on this and see it is a pity when a poetic talent is trying his heart and soul to overcome that strong surge through performance. I am not against reading as well as performing poetry. A poet is expected to be in reading and performers by choice will do the business of performance art.
As writing is self expression so what a person had to express, if he already could have made it in writing, he has nothing himself to reflect or express further in performance. That truth exactly can be said in case of a verse play. So what? Should a real poetic talent have any urge to be the champion in the race of performance? I do not think so.
Syed Shamsul Haq further says as the individual is a thinking creature, thinking is an abstract process and it takes form in language. He further adds as the individual thinks in the language into which he is born. To have this genuine rebirth in thinking over linguistic and poetic process, a person having prospect to be a poet, should not have much time to pay attention to performance by disturbing the attainment of depth and weight of perfection in poetry.
When Poetry Slam, particularly is much popular in many western cities, my realisation may cause of displeasure or surprising to many. No problem, as I know writing concretises man’s thoughts, feelings, emotions, agony, fear, love, death and dreams. I am convinced as there is no substitute to writing and thank Syed Shamsul Haq.
As a craft, writing and the pursuit of literary activities in the east are ‘gurumukhi shikkha that means a creative talent is to go to a teacher. In the west orientation in writing is mostly through workshops and course work. Does Poetry Slam enlightening any serious interactions or getting feedbacks and counter feedbacks for making the future way as a poet before a person? I do not know! A true poet never bothers to be champion or to name in competition. That is a pride a poet upholds. But performers or the showbiz talents or the sport players are to do that. As generally writing is judged as a supreme form of art, as Syed Shamsul Haq says and man’s desire for expression gives rise to writing. Then there remains nothing for a genuine writer after finishing his text in perfection.
In fine, I would like to say as a true writer not for the perverse side that indicates writing is for purposes of exhibitionism, fame, glory and vanity. In that race I can frankly name Taslima Nasrin, Humayun Ahmed, some others in Bangladesh in some aspect and writers of crime or so called popular fiction or poets of slogan poetry in other countries as well. The persons who are in the mission of poetry slam or performance poetry, it is better for them if they really know either they are doing anything exhibitionism or not! #
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Syed Shamnsul Haq's photo credit goes to Nasir Ali Mamun
Taslima Nasrin's photo source: http://cgiampietri.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/taslima_nasrin_1.jpg
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