Analysis Of The Poetry Of Taufiq Rafat: The Most Distinguished Pakistani Poet
Poetry is the most powerful and effective tool of expression in literature.it is well said that “the crown of literature is poetry”. Without poetry literature is incomplete. Poetry is an inevitable part of literature. The literature in subcontinent was riched with universality and boundlessness. As we know that Pakistani culture is amalgam of different cultures, therefore, many writers contributed for the different languages including Sindhi, Balochi, Punjabi etc. Beside these idiolect languages many writers also wrote about the literature in English and Taufiq Rafat was one of them. He used free verse to express his feeling and thoughts. His free and rebellious style of writing is true depiction of adaptation of modern writers. In paper "Analysis Of The Poetry Of Taufiq Rafat Essay" we will research and analyze some work of Taufiq Rafat.
Rafat is the most distinguish poet among all Pakistani poets and gain a name for his stunning work in poetry. He is true creative poet .His poetry was local and depict the Pakistani culture. About Rafat Carlo Cappola says that Rafat’s poetry is “full-bodied and rich, direct and readily accessible to the reader’s sensibilities, and devoid of excessive artifice” if we see his poem “arrival of the monsoon”, “the kingshiper’’ lights, and “wedding in the flood” we find all these elements.
In his poem’ “arrival of the monsoon” he draw the picture of rural and country life by using the element of direct imagery. In arrival of the monsoon his language is direct and readily accessible to the reader’s sensibilities. A welcome darkness descends. Harsh contours Dissolve, lose their prosaic condition All the sounds we have loved are restored. (Arrival of the monsoon)In the above lines by using simple and conversational language he gives us a perfect image of the monsoon season in Pakistan.in literature darkness is always related to or foreshadowing of something unpleasant. But here, Rafat describes the darkness for specific context, that is Pakistani context during the monsoon season.
“The deep clouds turn into dark, that provides an environment of enjoyment.
The people called it a romantic weather.
The clouds come in front of sun. There is darkness everywhere.
The wind blow and people feel comfortable.”
That’s why Rafat called “a welcome darkness”.
In another lines And drunk with motion, clothes on the washing-line Are raised above themselves; a flapping sheet Turns a roof corner into a battlement (Arrival of monsoon). The direct image of clothes is quite and easily understandable for every one when it comes to Pakistani context. Due to wind the clothes which are hung in front of sun to dry are dancing here and there the imagery of “flapping sheet turns a roof corer into a battlerment” flesh to our eyes as everything in the wind fighting with each other. It’s only happen during the monsoon.
“Alive, alive, everything is alive again. Savor the rain’s coolness on lips and eyes. How madly the electric wire is swinging.in these (Arrival of monsoon). In these lines Rafat gives us a perfect imagery of summer season in Pakistan. The summer season is the most hottest season in the Pakistan. During summer every things not only human even animals become sluggish, but when the monsoon arrive every things seems alive and shine. Because of hotness the voltage of electricity become low but the arrival of monsoon the wires get energy and voltage increased. The wire moving and dancing crazily In another poem of Rafat “wedding in the flood’’ which is linguistically unique, and represent itself the linguistic genuinity. The structure, language and style of the poem is exactly what Carlo Cappola said about Rafat’s poetry is “devoid excessive artifice’’.
Each of the stanza of the poem deals with the common perspective and description of monsoon as well as wedding ceremony. In his poem ‘’wedding in the flood’’ He use free verse and depicts the cultural identity of Pakistani wedding ceremony. As the poet wrote poem in Pakistani context, the theme of the poem is a traditional Pakistani wedding with three different voices. Because the use of language is more simple and less artificiality we as a reader easily interpret the confused mentality of the people in the wedding. Mother is confused about her sweet daughter future ‘‘she was the shy one. How will she fare in that cold house among the strangers’’? Bridegroom is worry about the bride appearance “if her face matches her hand”. The words and the events He has mentioned in his poem are totally related to Pakistani culture. The use of words such as bride, bridegroom, palakeen, hennaed, hands, cot liking pot, looking glass, mother in law, dowry, ferry, wench, and curtains without any artifice represents the true color of Pakistani culture.
Another unique feature of the poem that is directly related to the Pakistani culture, who so ever lick the pots brings a lot of ring in his /her marriage day. Same maxim echoed by all the people in wedding even bride’s mother admits this fact. His others poems are full bodied and rich due to the use of Symbolism and metaphors. We can overly found in his poems such as ‘Lights’ and “The Kingfisher”. He used the metaphor of ‘elfin’ for those peculiar men who seeks harbor in lonely mountains. Even the theme of “The Kingfisher” is the summery of absolute symbolism, as it hits us with the duality of meanings and teaching us lesson that we should learn to love things when their skill get dulled and shrink. Hence, I found the structure of poems well and literary.
In conclusion I can say that the use of element of the symbolism, metaphor, direct imagery, and the theme of culture makes Rafat’s poetry full bodied, direct, rich and easily accessible to reader sensibilities. After analyzing his poems wedding in the flood, the arrival of monsoon, light, and kingfisher I can justify more readily Carlo Cappola statement about Rafat’s poetry.
