by Anisur Rahman
The term ‘projection’ mostly familiar in the world of cinema where it refers to ‘displaying of an image by devices such as: movie projector, video projector, overhead projector, slide projector and camera obscura’.
The poets do the same in poetry reflecting on life, history and times. Metaphors and similes along with other poetic elements are poets’ ultimate resort to do so. Historical projection or the display of history or presence of history is the ancient practice in poetry. History or historical incidents were dominating subject matters in early poetry, particularly in epic poetry. If we simply note some master epics in this regard we will find the facts.
In reviewing the projection of history in poetry, let’s have a look over Greek poet Homer’s two epics: Iliad and Odyssey. It is worth mentioning that each of these writings involves strong geographic, historic and political symbolism. They can be seen as descriptive pictures of life and warfare in the Bronze Age and the illustrated plans of real journeys. Thus, each one develops a philosophical view of the world, which makes it possible to show the historic light in the form of poetry as well.
One of the most important literary works of ancient India, the Ramayana has had a profound impact on art and culture in the Indian subcontinent and South Asia.
The ancient Sanskrit epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata, also termed ‘history’ or Mahākāvya (Great Compositions), refer to epic poems that form a canon of Hindu scripture. Hero-worship was and is a central aspect of Indian culture, and thus readily lent itself to a literary tradition that abounded in epic poetry and literature. On the other hand, The Puranas, a massive collection of verse-form histories of India's many Hindu gods and goddesses, followed in this tradition.
Shahnamé – ‘The Book of Kings’, is an enormous poetic opus written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi around 1000 AD. It is the national epic of the Persian-speaking world. The Shahnameh tells the mythical and historical past of greater Iran from the creation of the world up until the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century. It is to be noted that this voluminous work, regarded by Persian speakers as a literary masterpiece, also reflects Persia's history, cultural values, ancient religion (Zoroastrianism), and profound sense of ethno-national history of Iran.
Novel is playing the major role projecting the history these days. In spite of that modern poets do display historical facts, mythological references in the space of sensitivities and spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings. When a poet these days writes a poem addressing or protesting the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and so, this will be a projection of contemporary history in poetry.
Allen Ginsberg’s (1926-1997) many a poem is reflections on contemporary political development. In this regard, his poem ‘September on Jessore Road’ is notable here. He wrote it depicting on the mass killing by the Pakistani occupation army during Bangladesh’s war of liberation in 1971. Here follow last few lines from 152-lined poem:
‘How many fathers in woe
How many sons nowhere to go?
How many daughters nothing to eat?
How many uncles with swollen sick feet?
Millions of babies in pain
Millions of mothers in rain
Millions of brothers in woe
Millions of children nowhere to go’
Norwegian poet Henrik Ibsen’s (1828-1926) poems are considered to be the bonsai presentation of Norway’s history, geography and life. One can know Chile much reading Pablo Neruda’s poems. Same can be in case of Rabindranath Tagore (1961-1941) and Shamsur Rahman (1929-2006). One can know much about the life during the colonial Bengal (West Bengal and Bangladesh), reading Tagore’s poems. On the other hand, one can know post-1947, Bangladesh reading Shamsur Rahman’s poetry. These are honest projection of history in poetry.
Though novels are occupying the major tasks in projection of history, poetry is not away from it at all. Poetry is an individual poet’s personal politics. This politics refers to life and time he is leading and passing. This reality always gets back a poet to history of his own way of looking into. Poetry has its particular ways of depicting history. Chinese poet Mao Zedong (1893- 1976) depicted his political beliefs and historical truths in his poems to encourage his party workers.
There are thousands of examples in early poetry in almost every ethnic language. The poems were written on certain purpose, particularly for depicting the past national glories and or projecting their national heroes or leaders or talents. When a poet writes a poem about Abraham Lincoln or Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King or Dag Hammarskjöld, Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman or Olof Palme or Yassir Arafat or any other leader, it will certainly project the history, but with a positive projection.
On the other hand, if a poet writes a poem about W Bush, Blair, Osama-bin-Laden, or even Obama, we are not sure it will have the same spirit of projection! May it be the projection of protest! We can find such projection of history in poetry in different ethnic languages protesting the colonial rules in different countries. In this regard, a post-Tagore generation Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam (1999-1976) is to be mentioned. He wrote a poem called ‘The Revolt’ protesting the British colonial role in India. For this he had to be imprisoned for long by the colonial rulers.
When British poet, Ted Hughes (1930-1998) writes a complete collection of poems called ‘Crow’ and all poems are about crow. To be frank, these poems are ironically present the mock history of human beings all around us. A poet has poetic liberty to depict history in pseudo or direct or indirect or guise or disguise, but to promote the truth and beauty in life. A true poet always aware of this, and so is Ted Hughes.
A poet as his poetry is committed to life not to history. But, history comes from life. Thus poetry has a strong commitment to projection of history within. From the beginning till date, poets in different continents in all ages and all languages are aware of this truth. The projection promotes glories in life, helps people getting their dreams linger. It will be on how long poetry and life will be. I hope so. #
Photo sources:
Allen Ginsberg: http://www.grazian-archive.com/quiddity/Ginsberg/Ginsberg_2.jpg
Shahnameh: http://www.persianmirror.com/Article_det.cfm?id=1084&getArticleCategory=54&getArticleSubCategory=236
Kazi Nazrul Islam: http://www.bangladeshtourism.gov.bd/dtls.php?gid=140
