Poem
This is a poem written by Jibanananda das. This poem is a part of the Bonolota Sen series by the same poet. This poem depicts the facade of Bengal with the myriad images and mystique forms. The poem is one of the masterpieces in the Bengali literature.
Background
Neo-Platonism is a word which became very popular in the renaissance and the then periods. The poets and the authors of this period tried to excavate the relation between man and nature. The period was the time when the age old belief of man on the church was shuddered. Man was now confronting a new era. A new era of changes and important discoveries which were incrementing the scope of his self to a fourfold. Man was thus in the burst of the manhood. In this conjecture of time, in the history of the world literature, man tried to find a connection between the nature and the human beings. This idea was inspired from the inventions of Theodore Schwann on the cell theory. There were thus many poems procured on the connection between man and nature.
William words worth is a poet running in the foremost galore of these poets. His lucy, tintern abbey, the brook are some of the poems dealing with this matter. Wordsworth was a direct inspiration to Jibanananda’s creations. Banglar Mukh Ami Dekhiyachhi is a poem that deals with the history, the heritage and the natural aspects of Bengal and thereby establishes a link between the flora and the human organisation of this state.
Structure
The structure of the poem is very simple. It is written in open verse with seldom rhymes. The main motive of the poet is to make the comparisons vivid so this poem has a lucid use of language which is full of comparisons. There are many kinds of figures of speech used in this poem like the metaphor and the similie , the euphemism and the oxymoron etc. If one follows the uses of the figures of speech then this shall be very clear that the main motive of the poet was not to make the poem burdensome with the inclusion of aglobe of words but he made it more like a sketch with the seldom lines telling more that the elaborate baroque structures.
Analysis
banglar mukh ami dekhiyachhi
Tai prithhibir rup khujite jai na aar
The meaning of these lines is that as I have seen the face opf Bengal, I need not search the beauty of the world. A very important use of the words is to be observed at this conjecture. "Face" and "beauty". Why did the poet use the word ‘face’ and then the word ‘beauty’? we keep thinking until this thought ranks our mind that if the poet finds the sublimity in the face of Bengal then why shall he go to search for the beauty of the world?
This is the starting.
Andhokaar jege othe dumurer gachhe
Cheye dekhi chhatar moton boro patatir niche bose ache
Bhorer doyel pakhi
Then the poet says that the darkens arises in the Dumur plant. Darkness and light are two of the most important elements of Jibanananda’s poems. The darkness arises behind the plant and then the poet sees that underneath the big leaf of the plant there sits the morning’s bird.
Charidike pallaber stup. Aam jam kanthaler
Hijoler asother kore ache chup.
Phanimanasar jhhope shotibone tahader chhaya poriyachhe.
He mentions the trees of Bengal: the mango, the plum and the Banyan. The Peepal tree is mentioned here as well. In fact the poet at this conjecture of the poem wants to search for the life and the connection of the aliveness between the innate aspects of nature and human being. The shadow of them are falling on a herb named Phanimanasha. All is silent.
Madhukar dinga theke na jani se kobe
Chand champar deshe
Emn e neel chhaya banglar aparup rup
He transcends to the heritage of Bengal. He quotes "madhukar dings theke na jani sey kobe"…. he mentions the tale of the "manasa mangal" which is a part of the Bengali culture. He says that the similar beauty of the Bengal was witnessed by Chand, the trader as well when he was travelling the ocean in his boat, the "madhukar". Jibanananda comments that the legacy of the beauty of Bengal is on. The heirs after the heirs are witnessing the beauty of Bengal and that is constituting the real serenity of the area.
Dekhechhilo behulao. Ekdin gangurer jole
Jokhon se nechechhilo indrer sabhay
Banglar nodi math bhaatphul nupurer moto kendechhilo taar paye
He then quotes of the debauched Behula. Behula, like Orpheus of Greek tragedies had reached the heavens in the prayer to save his dead husband Lakhhindar’s life. The gods agreed to render the life back but in return to the favour done, they demanded Behula to dance and entertain them. The poet takes this as an example of devastation of womanhood. He says that when Behula was dancing in front of the gods at the heaven, the plants and the crops had cried on behalf of her. This quote reminds of "eve of waterloo" by Lord Byron where he too had made the leaves of Ardennes forest cry for the warriors. There the cry was for the loss of life, the Indian Poet converts the same as the sympathies of the inanimate for the lively girl who is vandalised in public by none other than the gods. Through this it is clear that the poet is up to establishing a vivid picture of the similarity between the nature and the human beings.
Theme
The central theme of the poem is to admire the beauty of nature of Bengal. Bengal is full of cultural and natural elements. Yet we the commons fail to get the note. The poet is one of the best citizens of the country. Jibanananda thus enumerates the presence and the importance of nature to us through this poem. He connects the inanimate with the living as well.
Summary
The poem opens with the dawn time when the morning bird is sitting beneath a big leaf. The poet can see a lot of other trees and herbs. He names some of the least looked upon shrubs. Then he makes us remember of the heritage of the area. He says that this beauty of the Bengal shall be for even. This is eternal.
