Indian Aesthetics (Poetics)

This blog deals with Indian Poetics- ભારતીય કાવ્ય મીમાંસા, response to Dilip Barad sir’s task. Being a literature student it’s a curiosity to know about literature of another language and so our syllabus includes a unit about Indian aesthetics in which we study about the various schools like Rasa, Dhvani, Auchitya, Vakrokti, Riti and Alankaar, in this blog I am going to give basic understanding about this school.

INDIAN POETICS

We got a wonderful chance to learn Indian Poetics from a recognized Indian poet, Prof. dr. Vinod Joshi Sir. We had his wonderful sessions for 8 days in our Department, Dept. of English, MKBU Bhavnagar.

Let us discuss seven schools of Indian poetics:

Rasa Theory:

Rasa theory originated by Bharata Muni in the sixth chapter of Natyashastra. He gives ‘Rasa Sutra’. In Indian aesthetics rasa literally means "nectar, essence or taste". It refers to the emotional flavors/essence crafted into the work by the writer and enjoyed by a 'sensitive spectator' or one can connect to the work with emotion, without dryness. Rasa is felt by various Bhavas (state of mind).

विभावानुभावव्यभिचारिसंयोगातरसनिष्पत्ति।

विभाव, अनुभाव, व्यभिचारी (संचारी), संयोगात, रसः निष्पत्तिः।

Rasa is produced from a combination of Determinants (vibhava), Consequents (anubhava) and Transitory States (vyabhicaribhava).

— Natyashastra 6.109 (~200 BCE–200 CE), Translator: Daniel Meyer-Dinkgräfe

Vibhav (object), Anubhav (reaction), vyabhichari bhava (not a permanent feeling) when all these three elements combine, rasa (juice, interest) is/ can be developed. Satisfaction, specific feelings or catharsis can be felt.

Rasa	Bhava	Deity	Color
Shringar	Romance, Love, attractiveness	Vishnu	Light Green
Hasyam	Laughter, mirth, comedy.	Shiv	White
Rudram	Fury	Shiv	Red
karunyam	Compassion, mercy	Yama	Grey
Bibhatsam	Disgust, aversion	Shiv	Blue
bhayanakam	Horror, terror	Yama	Black
viram	Heroism	Indra	Saffron
adbhutam	Wonder, amazement	Brahma	Yellow
santam	Peace or tranquility	Vishnu	White

श्रृंगारकरूणवीररौद्रहास्यभयानका।

बीभत्साद्भूतशांतश्च नवनाट्येरसास्मृता।।

- भरतः नाट्यशास्त्र (छंद अनुष्टुप)

ભરતમુનિ ના આ મત ને પડકારનારા ચાર વ્યાકરણશાસ્ત્રી (મીમાંસકો) છે.

1)ભટ્ટ લોલ્લટ : [ઉત્પત્તિવાદ]

ભટ્ટ લોલ્લટ માનવું છે કે નાટકમાં રસ હોતો નથી પણ તેને ઉત્પન્ન કરવો પડે છે. અને એ રસ નો પ્રથમ અનુભવ નટ અને નટીને થાય છે. ચાલો હું સરળ રીતે ઉદાહરણ સાથે સમજાવું -જેમકે કવિ કાલિદાસ નું પ્રસિદ્ધ નાટક અભિજ્ઞાનશાકુન્તલમ જેમાં દુષ્યંત નું પાત્ર ભજવનારા આપણા શેરીના રમેશ ભાઈ, એ તો કરીયાણાની દુકાન ચલાવે છે, અને શકુંતલા એ તો આપણા રમાબેન, એ પોતે શિક્ષિકા છે હવે એ બને થીએટર માં એમના વ્યવસાયના વિચારો લઈને જશે તો એમને રસની અનુભૂતિ શું થઇ શકે? જો કલાકાર જ રસ નિષ્પન્ન કરવામાં નિષ્ફળ જાય તો ભાવક ને તે રસો ની પ્રતીતિ થઇ ના શકે.

(2) ત્રિશંકુક: [અનુમિતિવાદ]

ચાર પ્રકરની પ્રતીતિઓ દ્વારા આપણે રસનું અનુમાન કરવું પડે કે, ધારવો પડે. ૧) યથાર્થ પ્રતીતિ, ૨) મિથ્યા પ્રતીતિ ૩) સંશય પ્રતીતિ ૪) સાદ્રશ્ય પ્રતીતિ.

(3) ભટ્ટનાયક: [સાધારણીયકરણવાદ]

મૂળ પાત્રો એ જે ભાવ જે કક્ષાએ અનુભવ્યો એ જ કક્ષાએ એ પ્રેક્ષક અનુભવે તો સાધારણીકરણ થાય ને ત્યારે રસનિષ્પત્તિ થાય

(4) અભિનવગુપ્ત: [અભિવ્યક્તિવાદ]

તેમણે કહ્યું કે પ્રકાશાનન્દમયઃ જ્ઞાન અને વિશ્રાંતિ ની અનુભૂતિ કરાવે તે ઉત્તમ કાવ્ય છે.

According to the Natya shastra, the goals of theater are to empower aesthetic experience and deliver emotional rasa. Entertainment is an effect, but not the primary goal of arts according to Natya shastra. The primary goal is to create rasa so as to lift and transport the spectators, unto the expression of ultimate reality and transcendent values.

Dhvani Theory:

The Dhvani Theory found its first systematic expression in Ānandvardhan's 'Dhvanyāloka'.

For simple understanding Dhvani is voice which helps us to complete a word; ક્ + અ = ક here અ is Dhvani which completes ક્.

विभाजित लावण्यम् इव अंगनाशु ।।

Dhvani adorns poetry and beauty adorns women.

ધ્વનિ એટલે પ્રતીયમાન અર્થ..

Getting new meanings through the same words is Dhvani- apparent meanings. That is the soul of poetry.

Construction of Dhvani

The communication of proper meaning through words requires a proper arrangement of sounds. Language basically can be written or spoken which has words as their foundation. Sanskrit critic has described three types of words:

अभिधा (Abhidha) - Literal Meaning of the word

लक्षणा (Lakshana) - Characteristically Meaning of the word

व्यंजना (Vyanjana) - Poetic & Metaphysical Meaning of the word

In this way, the third word Vyanjana reaches the soul and gives the suggested meaning of the word. It is also called 'dhvani'. Dhvani is considered to be the soul of the body, it gives life to poetry.Dhvani theory is a theory of meaning and symbolism which leads to the poetry of suggestion being accepted as the highest kind of poetry.

Vakrokti theory

Kuntaka in his work ‘Vakroktijīvitam’ postulates the Vakrokti Siddhānta or theory of Oblique Expression. Etymologically, the word Vakrokti consists of two components - 'vakra' and 'ukti'. The first component means 'crooked, indirect or unique' and the second means 'poetic expression or speech'.

Vakrokti is ‘vakra’ which is something like a curve. Beauty has no pointed curve, do we find anything in nature that has a pointed curve? Vakrokti is ironic.

Vakrokti can be divided in six categories:

વર્ણવિન્યાસ- the phonetic level,

પદપૂર્વાર્ધ- the lexical level,

પદપરાર્ધ- the grammatical level,

વાક્યવક્રતા- the sentential level,

પ્રકરણ- the contextual level and

પ્રબંધ- the compositional level

Alankar Theory:

Direct meaning we easily understand through alankar is ornaments. It adorns and gives beauty to poetry. Acharya Bhamah was the first to define poetry and for the first time presented the interpretation of 39 metaphors while accepting the main element of poetry, metaphor.

Language is ornamental, and ornamental language is applied to language. Bhamaha categorized Alankara into groups : SHABDALANKAR and ARTHALANKAR.

Alankar is not natural. E.g.; ‘Her face is like the moon’. This sentence contains Alankar. Alankar mixes in language, like a homogeneous mixture.

Riti Theory

'रीतिरात्मा काव्यस्य; विशिष्टापदरचना रीति: |'

Riti means style. Kavyalankasutra is the poetic work of Acharya Vamana, where he talks about riti. For Vamana, that formless, indeterminate essence of Kavya is Riti.Vamana said; the essence of Kavya is Riti (रीतिरात्मा काव्यस्य); just as every body has Atma, so does every Kavya has its Riti.The explanation offered by Vamana meant that the verbal structure having certain Gunas is the body of Kavya, while its essence (soul) is, Riti.

Riti, a very high position by designating Riti as the Soul of Kavya – 'रीतिरात्मा काव्यस्य; विशिष्टापदरचना रीति:

Auchitya theory

Kshemendra in Kavikanthabharana introduces to auchitya school. It means justification, propriety, decency

उचितं प्राहुराचार्याः सदृशं किल यस्य यत्।

उचितस्य च यो भावस्तदौचित्यं प्रचक्षते॥

He said Auchitya is the very life of Kavya (Kavyasya jivitam) that is endowed with Rasa (Aucityam rasa siddhasya sthiram kavyasya jivitam).

The most essential element of Rasa , he said, is Auchitya. The test of Auchitya is the harmony between the expressed sounds and the suggested Rasa. And , he described Auchitya as that laudable virtue (Guna) which embalms the poetry with delight.

According to Kshemendra, “When one thing befits another or matches perfectly, it is said to be appropriate, Auchitya”:

I Hope this blog is useful to you. I have practically applied Indian aesthetics in my other blogs. Please visit it.

W.B. Yeats’ poems

Figurative Analysis- I.A. Richards

Thank you for visiting.

W.B. Yeats Poems

This blog is a response to the blog task assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir. This blog is dealing with two poems of W.B. Yeats, ‘The Second Coming’ and ‘On Being Asked For War Poem’. It's critical reading, re-reading through Indian Poetics and pandemic reading of The Second Reading.

W.B. Yeats poems

W.B. Yeats:

William Butler Yeats (13 June 1865 – 28 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. From 1900 his poetry grew more physical, realistic and politicized. Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1923, his major works include 1928's The Tower and Words for Music Perhaps and Other Poems, published in 1932. Yeats is considered one of the key twentieth-century English-language poets. He was a Symbolist poet, using allusive imagery and symbolic structures. His use of symbols is physical that is both itself and a suggestion of other, perhaps immaterial, timeless qualities.

The Second Coming:

The Second Coming poem was written in 1919 and was first published in ‘The Dial’ in 1920. afterwards included in his 1921 collection of verses Michael Robarts and the Dancer. .It's A Modernist poem as a dirge for the Decline of European Civilization and it can also be called an Apocalyptic poem.

Click here to read an original poem.

The Second Coming poem is written in the 1919 aftermath of world war 1 and the beginning of Irish War of Independence. This Information easily helps us to read the Poem as a war poem. But if we read the history of 1918-19 we find that it was also a period of Flu pandemic. This creates a confusion whether Yeats wrote this Apocalyptic poem in reference to war or flu, as the poem does not suggest any specific reference in it.

We read the poem as a war poem as war is recorded in our mind very differently than pandemics, Pandemics are individualized while War is a national fight which is powerfully recorded in our minds. Today when we are facing Corona Pandemic we are pulled to read literary works with pandemic insight, till day we used to study same texts but never read it through pandemic sight as we never faced it or it was not in our memory.

Here we are going to read this poem as a pandemic poem.

Elizabeth Outka in her text ‘Viral Modernism: The Influenza Pandemic and Interwar Literature’ (2019) explains a bit about the authors who addressed pandemic in their work. Outka looked closely at the works of Eliot, Woolf and Yeats who have experienced Flu in person. In this blog we will read W.B. Yeats poem The Second Coming with pandemic insight with reference to Elizabeth Outka’s book ‘Viral Modernism: The Influenza Pandemic and Interwar Literature’.

As Eliot said in his essay ‘Tradition and Individual Talent’ the literary work must not be affected by the poet's personal experience. The main aim of literature or a literary work is to provide details about the condition of the society in which it is written. The poet cannot depersonalize his/her work from his personal experience. So first of all we would have to see what W.B. Yeats or any of his loved ones has faced influenza. If he or any of his loved ones would have faced it his mind must be occupied with all the influenza which will be mirrored in his work.

Reading Yeats’ biography we do find that his wife, Georgie Hyde- Lees was pregnant and was caught by Influenza. In that period the highest ratio of death was among the pregnant ladies, around 70% pregnant ladies were dying because of influenza. Yeats wrote this poem when his wife was recovering. Looking at this biographical element we can interpret this poem to be a pandemic poem, it is definitely a war poem but we also find Influenza effect recorded in this poem.

Now we will read a few lines of a poem which verifies pandemic recorded in the poem.

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

These lines of the poem capture the terrible situation of that period, the authority is not able to control the condition of. We have seen this situation in the Corona pandemic when the people were dying and getting infected by the Corona pandemic. We didn't have medicine or vaccines, we were not having any solution to this disease and everything was falling apart. We can imagine the influenza pandemic must be having the same situation and that must be the reason behind writing these lines: ‘Centre cannot hold’ the thing was in control and everything was ‘falling apart’.

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

‘Blood- dimmed tide’ this imagery very strongly indicates influenza as the frequent effect of influenza was bleeding from nose, ears and mouth. ‘Ceremony of innocence’, we can read it as thousands of people who did no sin, innocent were dying. We can relate it to the Corona pandemic, how young and old everyone was dying. Here through ceremony of innocence we can also read that in influenza pregnant womens were dying, the child who was not yet born who has not yet done any ‘karma’, the most innocent one were also dying.

The question might arise why the pandemic is recorded in the background and why it is not directly recorded. We are reading an apocalyptic poem directly in context to war and the pandemic insight becomes secondary. As we saw in the poem above ‘The Second Coming’.

We have gone through pandemic lens, the video will give analysis of the poem.

We already discussed that pandemic or disease is a personal battle and therefore it is recorded differently in everyone's mind and the war is a national issue and it is recorded to everyone in a similar way as it is shown. If a poet a writer writes anything on a contemporary issue they might face some political pressure for not writing negative on any issues like pandemic or disease and write something in the favor of authority and perhaps that's only reason that why in the ‘On Being asked for the War’ Yeats has written

A poet's mouth be silent, for in truth

We have no gift to set a statesman right;

Which suggests whether the poet write truth or not the society the people is only always going to listen to authority, the Statesman and the mob will troll the writer.

As it happened in our Corona pandemic the Gujarati part 2 switch off the all social media accounts for writing a Gujarati poem showing Real world and negative connotation to authority she was trolled and her controversy was printed in the national newspapers also here is his poem

Looking at the situation we can feel what W.B. Yeats is going through and that's the reason why he is asking that it's better ‘a poet's mouth be silent’. And perhaps this is the reason why today influenza is not recorded in the people's mind the way war is done. we are able to read the poem with the pandemic instead of War but for that we need influenza in our mind and today we are reading it as we are facing the same Corona pandemic and this is opening our minds to read in past that whether any pandemic was present in the past and if yes then how it is recorded in the literature. today this poem this Gujarati poem is recording the real-world, perhaps in the future when the pandemic will erupt society will read this poem and will understand the situation of the world in last pandemic.

On being Asked for a War Poem

Let us analyze ‘On being Asked for a War Poem’ poem as we discussed its line above.

I think it better that in times like these

A poet's mouth be silent, for in truth

We have no gift to set a statesman right;

He has had enough of meddling who can please

A young girl in the indolence of her youth,

Or an old man upon a winter’s night.

It is a small 6 line poem with an ABC ABC rhyming scheme, written in 1915. Yeats was asked by his friend Henry James to write a political poem in response to world war I. Yeats wrote the above titular poem and it has undergone various titles-

To a friend who has asked me to sign his manifesto to the neutral nations	Changed to ‘A Reason…’ In a letter written to Henry James
A Reason for Keeping Silent	Published in Edith Wharton’s A book of Homeless (1916)
On being asked for a War Poem	Published in The Wild Swans at Coole

Critical Analysis of the Poem:

Looking at the title and as discussed before, the poem is a response to the request of a friend to write a political poem in response to War. The poetry begins with a question about the role of the poem in society. As Shelley, a great Romantic poet, once called poets “the unacknowledged legislators of the world”. An ancient philosopher, Plato, even thought that poetry should be banned as corrupting to society. The poem's line ‘A poet's mouth be silent’, Indicates that yet is supporting Plato's view of the poet being silent ‘in times like these’ Which suggest the time like war, the difficult time of the nation or the world. Here we find a contradiction where the poet is writing in the poem that he or she should remain silent it seems the poet has used Metonymy.

‘have no gift to set a statesman right;’ suggested that even if the writers speak or write they have no write to ‘gift’ guide or ability to tell or interfere in any political leader or issue. Which clearly meant that poetry has no connection with politics.

‘He has had enough of meddling who can please’ In this fourth line of the poem that can be read in the two ways as a poet or as a statesman. As the word Statesman is used recently we will first read with reference to the statesman through these lines he suggests that Statesman have done enough ‘meddling’ the other word used for interference in the life of a youth and the life of the old man. And with quick change of imagery by using a poet at the place of he, we can read with a positive connotation that Youth and the old both the generation enjoy is the poem’s interference in their life they enjoy the poet's meddling youth enjoy with its romantic versus while the old enjoys his ballads.

This poem is a contradictory poem, it has an act of refusal-as-assent. It consists of an air of irony, the poet himself is asking poet’s to be silent and he himself is writing it through poem.

We also get confused as to why poets are not happy with war or not supporting it. Because the poet is Pacifist. And the reason for his refusal for not writing a war poem is seen in his letter written to his friend Lady Gregory: ‘I suppose, like most wars it is at root a bagman’s war, a sacrifice of the best for the worst. I feel strangely enough most for the young Germans who are now being killed.’

In a letter of the same year, sent to John Quinn, Yeats wrote that the First World War was ‘merely the most expensive outbreak of insolence and stupidity the world has ever seen and I give it as little thought as I can.’

Also his poems like ‘Easter 1916’, ‘An Irish Airman foresees his death’ suggests his unhappiness towards the war. Ireland was a colony of the British, Irish soldiers had to fight a war not of their patriotic duty but by force of Britisher. We can interpret that it might also be the reason why poet is not interested in wars, Irish people were fighting in war but they had no profit, they were bounded by Britishers.

We have recently learned about Indian Poetics. Read my Blog on Indian Poetics [CLICK HERE].  Let's apply Indian Poetics concept in this two western poems.

On Being Asked for War poem

• According to Kuntaka’s Vakrokti theory, the poem has a Vakrokti element in “On being asked for a war poem’ cause of refusal-as- assent in the poem. Specifically Prakaran Vakrokti.
• Along with, varn vinyas vakrokti- ‘I think it better that in times like these’.
• We also find Ksemedra’s Auchitya theory, as it is a symmetric poem- Iambic pentameter.
• According to Anandvardhan’s theory of Dhvani- ‘A poet's mouth be silent’ this line has Ras Dhvani (Vyanjana), it has direct meaning of staying silent but in the poem through this line poet is satirizing that we should stay silent as no authority is going to listen indirectly its satire to authority, we are supposed to understand the other meaning despite its having direct meaning.
• According to Bharat’s rasa theory, we find Adbhutam originated from (amazement and wonder) rasa in it.

The Second Coming

• According to Kuntaka’s theory of Vakrokti, The imagery of lion’s body and man’s head and rebirth of god seems ironic, which is not possible in real life.
• Vyanjana dhvani in ‘The falcon cannot hear the falconer’ has a direct meaning of a bird not being in control but we are supposed to imagine the world/ situation not being in control also “the blood-dimmed tide” stands for waves of violence, while “the rough beast” stands for “the Second Coming.”
• Varn vinyas Vakrokti in ‘Turning and turning’.
• According to Bhamaha’s Alankar theory, ‘A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,’ we find upama alankara;
• Utpreksha alankar in ‘Surely the Second Coming is at hand.’
• And Rupak Alankara in “the blood-dimmed tide” stands for waves of violence, while “the rough beast” stands for “the Second Coming.” ‘The falcon cannot hear the falconer’ has a direct meaning of a bird not being in control but we are supposed to imagine the world/ situation not being in control.
• According to Bharat’s rasa theory, Karunya ( compassion, mercy) rasa compassion tears the sufferers who have no choice else then second birth of almighty; Bibhatasam (disgust) and ‘Bhayanakam’( horror, terror) raas in felt in imagery of lion’s body and man’s head imagery
• Auchitya is also found as it is a symmetric poem.

This is all my understanding about poems. I have tried to give the majority of Indian poetics (based of theories present in our syllabus) theory applicable in the poem. If you find any to add please write below in the comment box. I hope this might have been helpful to you.

[Words- 2400]

Nature is our greatest teacher

BOB DYLAN AND ROBERT FROST

Hello readers! This blog is a response to an assigned blog by Vaidehi Haryani m’am. This blog is connected to the study of Bob Dylan and Robert Frost, two American icons who have won hearts through their songs/ poems.

Bob Dylan and Robert Frost use the nature elements as a metaphor to give the philosophy of life in the same way. In this task we have uploaded a video in our YouTube channel in which we have merged self-clicked shots from nature and in this blog will try to bring out our philosophy of life through this video.

“BY ALL MEANS LEARN BEYOND THE CLASSROOM, IN THE END, THAT'S ALL THAT WILL MATTER.”

-Gossy Ukanwoke

Learning is effective only in the four walls of the classroom is unjustified. For this task we visited the lake side, ‘Bortalav’ in Bhavnagar where nature can be adored the best.

Bob Dylan:

Bob Dylan whose born name was Robert Allen Zimmerman he was born on the 24th may 1947 and is still alive with age of yours 18 Years 80 he is regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all the time he is American singer and songwriter and a major figure of popular culture.

He has won a Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016 with citation, “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition." He is the first one who won the Nobel Prize for writing songs. He was also awarded Pulitzer in 2018 with special citation, “for his profound impact on popular music and American culture marked by lyrical composition of extraordinary poetic power.” He has won various awards including ‘Presidential Medal of Freedom’, ‘Ten Grammy Awards’, ‘a Golden Globe award’ and ‘an Academy Award.’

His most famous songs are of the 1960s. His songs like ‘blowin’ in the wind’ (1963) and ‘The times they are a changin’ (1964) are considered to be the anthems for the Civil rights and Anti-war movement.

Lets just go through his few songs:

Blowin’ in the Wind (1962)

Listen and read the lyrics of the song. (hyperlinked)

This song has been described as a protest song, self-expressing and showing reality. It possesses a series of rhetorical questions to mankind regarding their conscious ignorance of inhuman activities, racism, discrimination, peace, war and freedom, brutal cruelties of the 20th century. ‘ The answer my friend is blowing in the wind’ Through this line Dylan suggests that the solution is simply staring us in the face.

All along the Watchtower (1968)

Listen and read the lyrics of the song.

This song initially appeared on his 1967 album John Wesley Harding and it has been included on most of Dylan's subsequent greatest hits compilation. Think this song is raising the voice against corruption and privilege. He has described the characters through ‘The Thief’ and ‘The Joker’ and it seems that the Joker is wiser as he is able to see the truth of the world.

Like A Rolling Stone (1965)

Listen and Read the lyrics of the song.

This song is considered to be a Revolutionary song. It is about the loss of Innocence and the harshness of experience. The title of the song The Rolling Stones is taken from the proverb ‘a rolling stone gathers no moss’. This song suggests the benefits of moving on. Moving on is the only solution to safeguard oneself from being destroyed by society and their taunts.

Robert Frost:

Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. His lifespan is from 1874 to 1963. His works are known for the depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. He wrote about the setting from rural New England in the early 20th century and the themes in his work were social and philosophical. Robert Frost mostly used the theme of nature for giving philosophical and social messages.

He has received four Pulitzer prizes for poetry and was honored during his lifetime. Robert Frost was a poet Laureate of Vermont in 1961 and was also nominated for the Nobel Prize Prize in Literature 31 times.

Let us go through his few poems for understanding Robert Frost’s work

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (1922)

This poem is well known with name ‘Miles to go Before I sleep’.This poem reflects the thought of a driver who is the narrator who paused in the Woods to watch a snowfall and end reminding himself that despite he loved that view he had many promises to keep and miles to go before he sleeps. The theme in this poem is about affirming a path of life and fulfilling the promises.

The Road Not Taken (1916)

True meaning of this poem is about the importance of our choices. It doesn't matter whether the choice is big or small since they shape our journey of life. This poem also deals with making the right decisions at the right time which offers the profound perception of decision-making. In this poem we can conclude that taking the Less traveled by suggested if you choose the path which is less traveled it has a great risk.

Fire And Ice (1920)

The poem “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost is a metaphor for human perceptions of desires and hatred. The two elements force of Fire is representation of an emotion of Desire and eyes with hate it is the Frost for best-known and most anthologized poem. This poem tells about the end of the world. Its theme is revolving around that the human emotions are destructive.

Here we saw that the natural elements like Woods, Road, fire and ice are used as a metaphor to give the philosophical and social messages of the life.

This is my video prepared by merging some of the nature photos of nature and the shots. I have given a sequence to the shots in this video, I am Presenting my interpretation over this video's numerically.

1. Through my first shot I would like to interpret that the water evaporates in summer and it rises in the monsoon but when none of the process happens it is steady in its place still the waves on the surface of the water continue. It suggests whether in a life we are Rising or we are facing a fall or we are steady. We should continue our work. We should not be changeless, we should keep trying to change our position and work hard.

2. In the second shot of my video we see that a tree has grown in the bricks. It is the back part of the room that very strongly suggests that if one wants to grow in their life and wants to achieve anything there is nothing which can stop them.

3. In the third part the camera is viewing water and sky in the same frame which is of the same shade and in the between we see a small line of buildings or world. Through this I interpret that the beginning and the ending of a life are the same. There is a small period in which we get a chance to prove ourselves. we should work hard to achieve our goals in this small period of life where the beginning and the ending of the life is similar.

4. The fourth frame shows the motto of NCC institution working in our nation which is unity and discipline it seems like human needs and institution which teaches them about the unity and discipline, through immediate next two photos we see nature, so disciplined that Woods grow itself in a specific manner the river floors in the same path put together by it. So more than an institution, nature can teach us discipline and unity in a better way.

5. Through the fifth short I would like to interpret that nature is beautiful and calm and we are the ones who are spoiling the place around it. Similarly we are the only ones to be blamed for destroying our life. Nature provided water for us and we are spoiling it similarly this is our life and we are the one responsible for any deed.

6. And the last frame of the video shows the clean water. Through this I would like to pass a message to stay pure inside and out. One should not have any grudges for anyone forgive and forget is the best mantra to live life happily.

The lyrics I have used in my video is as below:

I'm just glad to be here, happy to be alive

And it don't matter if you're by my side

I'm satisfied

Well, it's alright, even if you're old and grey

Well, it's alright,

These lyrics put forward the idea of being happy in every situation one is in. it doesn't matter where one is, he/ she should be glad, happy and satisfied. ‘It's alright”. The whole song is End of the Line by Traveling Wilburys. But I have selected these lyrics from it.

I find these lyrics selected by me relatable to the poem of Robert Frost ‘Road not taken’ poem. The traveler chooses the road which is less traveled and when one tries to do something new or goes on the path which is rarely chosen by others it seems to be risky so the one who is trying to do something new moving over the path which is less traveled this lyrics are relatable to him that he must be glad for where he is, happy that he is alive even after choosing the road which is less traveled and is risky for him and should be satisfied with the choice he has made whether the choice done by him is old but it's alright cause it's his own personal choice not influenced by others.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog. This blog is a complete self-interpretation. If you find anything to add or have any queries please comment below.

[words- 1657]

Frame Study- The Great Dictator

This blog is a continuation of my previous blog talking about the frame of the Modern times. It is a response to the blog task assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir. This blog concerns the setting of 20 century, demonstrating it through Chaplin’s films ‘The Modern Times’ and ‘The Great Dictator’ And few frame studies from the movie.

 

FRAMES OF THE GREAT DICTATOR

Study of ‘The Great Dictator'

The Great Dictator is a 1940 film directed by Charlie Chaplin. It is a satirical- comedy drama. Chaplin's film advanced the expression of very strong disapproval of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, fascism, antisemitism, and the Nazis. At the time of its first release, the United States was still formally at peace with Nazi Germany and neutral during what were the early days of World War II. The Great Dictator conveys Chaplin’s view that people must rise up against dictators and unite in peace.

The Modern times is a complete silent movie whereas it has some dialogues, which exhibit the advancement of cinema.

What is frame study?

A frame is a single image of film or video. Framing (a shot) involves composing the visual content of a series of frames as seen from a single point of view, i.e., a fixed camera. When framing a shot, the filmmaker creates a visual within the dimensions of the lens just as a painter creates a visual within the dimensions of a canvas. A frame study is the study or understanding of the frame by a camera which is describing or indicating a lot of things to actually understand the meaning behind the fixed camera image.

Characters of the movie is an allegorical representation of the political leaders/ dictators. As below. 

REAL	REEL
Adolf Hitler (Dictator of Germany)	Adenoid Hynkel (Dictator of Tomainia)
Joseph Goebbels (Minister of Propaganda)	Garbitsch- Garbage
Hermann Goring (Minister of War)	Herring
Benito Mussolini (Dictator of Italy)	Benzino Napaloni(Dictator of Bacteria)

Let's read the frames of the movie-

Frame 1:

The movie is set in the period between the two world wars, The period of madness and lack of humanity. It is the very beginning of the movie which displayed condition on the border, constant fight with the heavy weapons, bombs. World war period believed the country with the most powerful weapons is the most powerful country. We can clearly witness the 20th century, time of war and weapons. It suggests the malevolence of machines, the horror of war, and the senselessness of destruction.

Frame 2:

This frame shows how the orders are passed from the powerful authoritative person to the powerless, unauthoritative person which can be considered as the ‘obedient’ one who has to follow the orders. It seems like there is no value in their life and they are meant to follow the orders.

We see this condition even in contemporary times in all the political houses.

This is the system which is known as the pyramid of the capitalist system. We see that capital is the head. We never know how the orders are passed and who is taking the order and we keep on blaming or saluting the person who is in front of us but they are only pawns. They're working for laymen because they are ordered by the authority, if the authority/ capitalist authority will order them to go against the layman. they will do their work the main point here is the order are passed from the higher authority to the Laymen, is powerless and the have to follow the orders blindly even if they are harmful for their self. which we keep looking in the society now and then.

Frame 3:

“Only the voice of Hynkel was heard.” Hynkel which is an allegorical representation of the Hitler, this frame shows that it was the time in which only the voice of Hitler was heard the political party of Hitler was so strong. Hynkel was so strong and he had great power of speech which used to easily hypnotize the people. In the movie Hynkel’s speech is gibberish which symbolizes that whatever he spoke was just ‘bla...bla...bla...’ thing of use. Many mic around Hitler symbolize that no one should hear anything other than Hynkel, every mic is only for Hynkel and every speaker is for his voice.

Frame 4:

This video is of a gibberish speech by Hynkel. In this video we see that Hynkel raises hand and everyone will clap for his speech and the minute he will sign to stop everyone will stop. This shows the control of Hynkel. Authoritativeness, dictating nature of an Hynkel. It seems like the public and his officers are ‘Puppets’ in his hand.

Frame 5:

This frame shows not specifically Hynkel/ Hitler but all the political leaders. People who play with children are considered to be warm hearted, an emotional public will always fall in this type of emotional trap. The public feels the leader is so lovely and caring towards children as warm/ kind hearted humans are easily attracted towards the children. This type of things we see in the contemporary world, also the political leaders playing with other children to show themselves emotional and kind, public falls in this type of trap because they are untutored for rational thinking the public is emotionally susceptible.

The Bollywood movie Nayak (2001)by S. Shankar, we witness such a type of political leader. This movie is a satire on the political parties and leaders. We find many scenes resembling ‘The Great Dictator’ and ‘Nayak’. (Full movie is available on youtube)

Frame 6:

These two frames in the movie are not specifically e a symbolizing anything together but in this we find that in the first picture the barber is helping an officer and he is working in the army for the nation but once he is returning to the Ghetto He is abused by the same authority for whom he was working.

The cast ‘ jew’ was written on the walls of the shop so that they could be boycotted. The same happened in India in 2002 after the ‘Godhra riots’ similarly the Muslims were economically boycotted. As a result Muslim started using the English names for hiding their identity, on the shops.

Frame 7:

The first image shows the ‘passion for exhibition’. we also see the sculpture ‘The Thinker (French: Le Penseur)’ Is changed according to the system of Hynkel. as it is hailing to the Hynkel. Here we also see that Hynkel has subdued The Artists. Creative people also don't have freedom of what they have to do. They are completely controlled by the authorities. Whenever the authority is free they are asked to work and if they are not free they are sitting ideally waiting for the authority. They don't have the freedom to work according to their time and according to them. It is a satire on art in a way Sarasvati Devi/ muse being controlled by dictators.

Frame 8:

This frame shows dictators self love/ Narcissist ideology. The towering filing cabinet behind his desk is shown to have no drawers at all, but several concealed mirrors instead. dictators/ authorities are more worried about their image than the public who have elected them to work for them.

Frame 9:

Dictators and their Leisure activities. We do see that many leaders have their personal pastime activity; they actually don't have any mastery in any hobby but just their self love and to mesmerize the public.

Frame 10:

This frame in the movie seems to symbolize the dictator's behavior towards Jews in the society. We interpret this cage to be the symbolism of the Jews being caged in Ghetto.

Frame 11:

Billy Gilbert's Herring’s chest full of medals because he was a sycophant and on the other side Schultz went or gave opinion against order of Hynkel and was ordered him to send to concentration camp. People who pamper their egos are awarded and others are imprisoned.

Frame 12:

Playing with a globe is a maniacal dream sequence of Hitler. The dream of pleasure of ruling the whole world. Sycophant officers give air to their ego and dreams which was dreamt by Hynkel by playing with the globe, Playing the world. Climbing to the curtains can be interpreted as Hynkel flying with a dream of ruling the world.

Frame 13:

The bursting of is symbolic comment on the futility of the dictator, breaking of fallacies, dreams.

Frame 14:

In these two frames of the movie, the first frame is when Hynkel went to welcome Napolini, the dictator of Bacteria. They are seen as friendly with each other as if they were childhood friends but they were the real Rivals and for the means of a photograph, for the media which can be said as the passion for exhibition. And in the very next frame we see that both the dictators were in a private place and the way they are fighting for their agreement with each other. It seems the double standards of The Dictator, they have a different face to show to the public and a different face in a private place. This type of media face is also seen in the present or a contemporary period.

Frame 15:

The Hynkel Stadium. Napolini was taken to a Hynkel stadium to show off arms, Arm force and army to show off your power. We can relate some of this type of incident in a contemporary time that is a cricket stadium named after a political leader.

Frame 16:

In these two frames we see him cause different ways of showing himself superior to Napolini. Here Hynkel is trying to play psychologically with Napolini, by making him feel inferior. Chaplin concentrates on the character's vanity, stupidity and childishness. When Napolini pays a state visit from the neighboring country of Bacteria, the two men compete to have the higher chair while they are being shaved, and to have the more flattering position when they are being photographed.

Frame 17:

In the end of the film Babar, The Jew mistaken as a Hynkel was forced to give a speech in the rally. The first frame shows the popularity of Hynkel, the number of people gathered to listen to Hynkel. And in The second frame We see the word ‘Liberty’ when the Barber was climbing the stairs. this frame can be read in the two ways, the first can be the Liberty is for the sake of the name in the rule of Hynkel and second it can be read as when Barber, as a representative of a layman will be on the stage, on the in the rule the Liberty in the society will prevail.

The final speech in the movie by the barber is the voice of Charlie Chaplin himself. Speech is considered to be one of the best speeches the speed pleads for peace, tolerance and understanding .

Various newspaper bringing to us the setting of 20th Century:

Reflecting over the process:

After watching the movie The Great Dictator it seems like we have never seen the other side of a political area or a political society somewhere we can relate this to the contemporary period. It seems like an eye opener doing frame study is a very interesting activity.

The writer and philosopher George Santayana, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” After watching the movie Great Dictator it seems like it is really necessary to understand the history if one knows the history and has an historical sense he won't repeat it and the world would not go through the same condition. Nation will progress rather than regress.

I hope this blog was useful to you. Thank you for visiting.

If you like to read more about the frames of Chaplin’s Movie visit my blog on frame study of ‘The Modern Times’. CLICK HERE.

Work Cited:

Barber, Nicholas. “The Great Dictator: The Film That Dared to Laugh at Hitler.” Accessed February 2, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210204-the-great-dictator-the-film-that-dared-to-laugh-at-hitler.

Clairmont, Nicholas. “‘Those Who Do Not Learn History Are Doomed To Repeat It.’ Really?” Big Think (blog). Accessed February 3, 2022. https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/those-who-do-not-learn-history-doomed-to-repeat-it-really/.

DQS ( DIVYA QUICK SUPPORT ). The Great Dictator [1940] Full Movie-720p.Mp4, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDX2tCkCM4o.

[words- 2022]