|
|
LITR 5734: Colonial & Postcolonial Literature Student Poetry Presentation, 2001 Presenter: Carolyn Richard "The Saddhu of Couva" The presentation centered on finding meaning in each of the stanzas. In stanza one, the holy man’s soul is said to have left his body and is going on a mystical journey. Nature is interspersed with spirituality throughout much of this stanza with the saddhu’s soul becoming a bird and the clouds gathering for prayer. There is also a lot of noise in this stanza, especially in the second half. Not only do you have the gongs and the whine of mosquitoes, but also there is a sitar, singing and a blaring horn. In stanza two it appears that the soul/as a white bird flits through crowds of people to show his regret that the past is gone. He also compares old age to fire here. The fire could also be interpreted as a sacrificial ritual to try and bring back the power of the gods. The spiritual tone of the poem changes in stanza three. The poet becomes concerned that his voice had not been heard. He speaks of having to carefully move between two groups of colonizer and colonized. The white soaring bird becomes a walking bird, carefully maneuvering between two worlds. In stanza four the poet wonders if all his gods are gone, killed by the technology and conveniences brought by the colonizers. He supports the new government, the new way of life, which his friends reject. The bird imagery continues in stanza five, as the embers from the cremation fire become swallows. Although at first glance is seems that the saddhu here is being cremated, a Hindu tradition to ensure a good after-life, it could also be the old way of life, before the colonizers came. The class discussion centered on the cultural traditions presented in this poem. It was noted that during the festival Divali, no electric lights are used so that the sacredness will not be ruined. This festival celebrates the return of Ramluchan. Also, Hindus worship fire because it both destroys and creates. In stanza five, the cremation is also a rebirth. Sandalwood was used often in cremating because of its spiritual properties. Another important aspect of the class discussion featured the language of the poem. It was mentioned that at some points, the language seemed childlike. Brenda explained that in "Trinidad English" the sound and placement of words are more important than images. She also pointed out that the names in the poem show a removal from India, as well as a British or Christian influence, therefore Indians in Trinidad have their own identity. |