Sunday, July 13, 2025

On growing Old

                    

      

              

1.           Just because you are old, be not proud

   You are just one among the crowd

   Mere grey hairs will not make you wise

   Growing years will not make you rise

   Among the common lot; broaden your thoughts

   Brood on your flaws, defects and what you got

   Sharpen your mind to understand lessons new

   From your experiences at least a few.

 

2.        Brag not about your growing age

  Flying years will not make you a sage;

  What knowledge you have amassed matters most;

  What worldly wisdom and time you did devote;

  Even beasts and birds grow to become old

  Even trees, hills and oceans cold;

  No chance given to them to grow wise

  They cannot change irrespective of shape and size.

3.                  

      You cannot gain respect even if you claim

  Knowledge and wisdom should be your aim;

  Respect others even if they are less old

  Even among laymen you find realms of gold.

  Be humble and patient and do not interfere

  Unless sought by others; patiently try to hear

  Mere domination will not earn you respect

  Be not aggressive; otherwise, you have to regret; 

 

4.       Give up stubborn attitude, hasty acts and mind

  Be tolerant; respect knowledge wherever you find

  Too much pride and anger narrows down your vision

  Your hasty acts make you an object of derision

  Appreciate others’ talents whoever they are

  Mere age, caste and creed should not be a bar;

  Think twice before you act and speak

  Swelling with pride about your age makes you a freak. 


5.Be not rigid in your views, beliefs and thoughts

   Boasting yourself and conditions past;

   Time changes all—no use to resist or complain

   Welcome good changes and values without disdain;

   Your status, a tiny speck in this universe vast

   Degrade not others, curb your tongue and thoughts;

   Anger and pride not befitting your age

   Be generous and kind; our life is just a passing phase.

                    ***********************

13th July, 2025                                   Somaseshu Gutala

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday, July 4, 2025

A Note on Tennyson’s Poem “Lotos Eaters”

                               

Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809--1892)

      

Mariners in Lotos-Land
                


Lotos-Land

Alfred Tennyson was one of the most famous poets of the Victorian era. He held the position of Poet Laureate for forty-two years from 1850 till his death in 1892. He produced many famous works. “In Memoriam (1850)” is an elegy composed on the untimely death of his dear friend, Arthur Hallam, and it consists of 2,916 lines with 33 cantos and is judged as one of the best poems.  (1850). “Idylls of the king” (1859) is a series of twelve connected poems describing the legend of Arthur from his falling in love with Guinevere to the ultimate ruin of his kingdom. In his dramatic dialogue “Locksley Hall” written as a set of ninety-seven couplets in 1832 and included in (1842 collection”), the poet described his nostalgic feelings about his childhood home and about his failure to marry his cousin, Amy. He concludes the poem by wishing that a storm would destroy the Locksley Hall. “The Princess” is a narrative poem exploring the theme of women’s education. 



He also wrote dramatic monologues on mythological and legendary themes like “Ulysses”, “Tithonus” and “Lotos-Eaters”. He also composed shorter lyrics like “The lady of shallot”, “Mariana” “tears, idle tears”, “Break, Break, Break”, “the Charge of the Light Brigade”, “Ring out wild bells” and “Crossing the Bar”.


In his works Tennyson dealt with themes of loss, love, Nature, faith, and the role of the artist. Tennyson’s poetry is lyrical and meditative and shows the influence of Romantic poets. His poetry is sensuous with beautiful imagery and melodious sounds. He experimented with various meters and sound effects. His poetry reflects the moral and social issues of his age. Along with realistic descriptions, he used his imagination to portray mythical and legendary figures and tried to capture the glory of the past. He captured the spirit and complexities of the Victorian times. 


 The poet along with his bosom friend Arthur Hallam, went to Pyrenees valley in Spain which attracted his attention and inspired many of his marvelous poems “Oenone”, and “Lotos Eaters, and many poems in “Idylls of the king”. The beautiful waterfall, valleys and the surrounding hills near the village Cauterezource, remained a source of inspiration for many of his poems. This poem “Lotos Eaters” by Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) was published in his “1832 Collection”. Tennyson’s poetry is lyrical and meditative and shows the influence of Romantic poets.


This poem is in dramatic monologue form just like Tennyson’s poem “Ulysses”. Unlike Browning’s dramatic monologues, they are meditative and lyrical without much action and dramatic characterization. The mariners’ arguments resemble the words spoken by Despair in Edmund Spenser’s poem” The faerie queen” (Book I). Time is depicted as destroyer of the individual. The phrase “let us alone” is used as a refrain in a desperate and negative sense. Homer writes about a storm that blows the great hero’s mariners off the course as they attempt to journey back from Troy to their homes in Ithaca. Tennyson powerfully evokes the mariners’ yearning to settle in to a life of peacefulness, rest and even death. They come to a land where people do nothing but eat Lotos (the Greek word for flower) a flower so delicious that the mariners are tempted to settle in the land of the lotos. In the Bible, Adam ate the fruit of knowledge and was condemned to labor by the sweat of his brow. In contrast the lotos fruit provides a tempting and seductive vision of life free from toil.

 

The poem is divided into two parts; the first is a descriptive narrative in 45 lines) and the second part is a song of eight numbered stanzas of varying lengths (46 to 173). The first part is written in nine-line Spenserian stanzas with rhyme scheme (ABABBCBCC) with first eight lines in Iambic pentameter with the final line in six iambic feet. The choric song is loose in structure and the rhyme scheme varies widely in the eight stanzas. This poem is based on the story of Odysseus’ mariners described in scroll IX of Homer’s epic “Odyssey. The protagonist, Odysseus had to drag his men away who lost their desire to return to Ithaca and wish to remain only in the land of Lotos flowers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

 This poem is about the conflict between isolation and community life. The mariners argue that death is the completion of life, and they want to spend a tension-free life. They are tempted by the sweet and soporific music of the land which is compared to petals falling on tired eyelids. In the first stanza the poet describes the dreamy and weird landscape of the Lotos Eaters land where there is always dim light, and the languid air produces sleep and dreamy sense. The moon shines bright above the valley and a slender stream flows downward like vapor pausing and flowing slowly from the cliffs.

 

In the second stanza the poet continues the description of the mountain streams which flow down like “slow dropping veils of thinnest lawn” rolling a slumbrous sheet of foam below. The three mountain tops covered with aged snow shine with red color by falling sunrays. Several pine trees with copses are seen on the mountain sides. The island’s landscape is seen with bordered yellow down with green meadows and slender creepers. No change is seen. A static landscape where “all things seemed the same” with various vales.

 

The inhabitants of the lotos land welcomed the mariners with lotos flowers and fruits. After eating them there was a change in their sensations and feelings. The sound of rushing waves sounded somber and alien. The voice of the mariners sounded feeble as if coming from a grave. They felt themselves weary and tired. Though they thought of their family, they felt reluctant to leave the island. The phrase “return no more” is repeated to suggest their complete hypnotic spell of the alien land. “Our island home/ Is far beyond the wave; we no longer roam.”

 

The mariners question why man is the only creature in Nature who must toil. They argue that everything in Nature enjoys rest and stay still; but man is tossed from one sorrow to another. Man’s inner spirit tells him that tranquility is the only joy and yet he is destined to toil and wander all his whole life.

 

In the third stanza they declare that everything in nature is allotted a lifespan in which to bloom and fade. They give examples of the folded leaf and the fallen full-juiced apple.

 

In the fourth stanza the mariners question the purpose of a life of labor since all their accomplishments lead them nowhere. Everything in life is fleeting and therefore futile. They also express their desire for “long rest or death” either of which will free them from a life of endless labor. They merely wish to escape from reality and even are ready to die without gaining experience, growth and completion and without fulfilling their worldly duties and obligations. 

 

The fifth stanza echoes the first stanza’s desire to lead a life of luxurious self-indulgence. They declare how sweet it is to live a life of continuous dreaming doing nothing all day except sleep, dream, eat lotos fruits and watch the waves on the beach. Such an existence would enable them peacefully to remember all those individuals they once knew who are either buried or cremated.

 

In the sixth stanza, the mariners reason that their families have probably forgotten them or their homes fallen apart. So, they can stay in the land of lotos eaters and let “what is broken, so remain.” Their sons might have inherited their property and it would cause unnecessary confusion and disturbance if they return now. Their hearts are worn out from fighting wars and navigating the seas by means of constellation and now they prefer the relaxing death.

 

In the seventh stanza as in the first and fifth stanzas the mariners bask in the pleasant sights and sounds of the island. They imagine how sweet it would be to lie on beds of flowers while watching the river flow and listening to the echoes in the caves.

 

Finally, the poem closes with the mariners’ vow to spend the rest of their lives relaxing and reclining in the “hollow lotus land.” They compare the life of leisure they enjoy in the lotos Land to the carefree existence of the gods who do not care about the famines, plagues, earthquakes and other natural disasters that plague human beings on earth. These gods smile upon men who till the earth and harvest crops until they die. Then they suffer in hell and some dwell in the Elysian valleys of heaven. They have concluded that “slumber is more sweet than toil; they resolved to stop wandering on the seas and to settle instead in the land of the Lotos eaters.

 

In the second section of the poem the poet used irregular lines to describe their determination to settle down.  “There is sweet music her that softer falls/ Than petals from blown roses on the grass. “Music that gentlier on the spirit lies/ Than tired eyelids upon tired eyes.” They justified their decision by saying that why they should toil when other creatures enjoy themselves in a leisurely way. In Nature too, the plants grow green and bear flower and fruits without any toil and care. All creatures have a limited span of life and time runs fast. “All things have rest; why should we toil alone” So, it would be better to spend life with comfort and ease. Hence, they determined to spend their days dreaming in the dim light listening to the music of the gentle flowing stream and eating lotus fruits watching the ripples on the beach in dim light and remembering the faces of friends and relatives who had passed away and become a handful of dust or ashes in an urn. Though they love their family members, their long absence from their homes would have made them remain as memories. Even if they go to their homes they may appear as strangers. So, it would be better to let things remain as they are without disturbing the present state.

 

The whole order is in a disturbed state which they cannot change. They are already exhausted due to wars and long tiresome journeys on the sea filled with dangerous sea-monsters. They decided to spend the rest of their lives in the lotus-land like gods who enjoy themselves caring least about mankind who lead miserable lives affected by natural calamities, wars, diseases and work hard to earn their livelihood. “Death is the end of life; ah, why/Should life all labor be?” The gods smile at the sufferings of mankind which seems to them a tale of little meaning. Even after death men’s souls must endure the torments of hell while very few enjoy their stay in heaven. 

 

 So, the sailors consider that life without action is better than labor. It would be better to spend the remaining years of life in the lotus-land resting on the flowery bed of sweet- smelling amaranth in half-sleep under the dim light watching the gliding streams flowing down the purple hills and listening to the gentle music of the emerald- colored water flowing down ravines and caves. They decided to stay “In the hollow Lotos-land to live and lie reclined/ On the hills like Gods together careless of mankind. They wish to lie on emerald grassy slopes, dream, eat lotos fruits and watch the waves on the beach. Such an existence would enable them peacefully to remember all those individuals they once knew who are either buried or cremated.  

 

Tennyson’s description of Lotos Land reveals the idle pleasures just like in Milton ‘s poem “La Allegro” and Marvel’s Poem “Garden”. The mariners are deceiving themselves in succumbing to the hypnotic power of the Lotos and abandoning external reality and living in a world of appearances.

 

The conflict between the sense of reality and illusory world of rest and sensual pleasures is described. In contrast “Ulysses” is the antithesis of “The Lotos-eaters” where Tennyson emphasizes the value of life and that man has to make proper use of time as “death closes all”.   “How dull it is to pause, to make an end/To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!” ‘Old age hath yet his honor and his toil/Some work of noble note, may yet be done/Not unbecoming men that strove with gods.” One has “to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” The Lotos land like Eliot’s “The Wasteland” is a land of spiritual barrenness without any change and growth.

 

The lyrical and melodious quality of the poem has inspired many composers like Edward Elgar to set the poem to music. The use of Spenserian stanzas with close-knit rhymes and extra poetic foot slows down the languorous mood of sailors. The irregularity of the choric poem is appropriate to the slackness induced by Lotos. The use of (repetition enhances the musical quality of the poem. Tennyson wrote pure poetry without any direct message. Use of figures of speech such as Assonance (repetition of vowel sounds), consonance (repetition of consonant sounds), alliteration (repetition of consonant sound at the beginning or nearby words) shows the poetic talent of the writer who gave a very tempting picture of sensual pleasures. Repetition of the phrase “Let us alone” and use of sibilant sounds(S) suggests the lethargy and laziness of the mariners.

 In this aspect this poem resembles Keats’ poem “Ode On Autumn “and Shelly’s enchanting poem “Ode to a skylark”. Tennyson is a master of vivid image-driven language. The poem’s first section is an elaborate visual description of the island of Lotos-eaters. The poem’s abiding focus on the senses powerfully reflects the experience of the mariners and the hypnotic influence of the Lotus eaters. The poet also emphasizes the sweetness of the island’s music. The symbol of lotus-eaters is a symbol of temptation and represents the desire to detach from reality and enter a blissful state of oblivion. Using this symbol Tennyson explores the human inclination toward seeking refuge from life’s struggles and challenges. The whole poem shows the mariner’s struggle between duty and desire, obligation and pleasure. 


Some critics think that the attitude of mariners shows rejection of duty, heroism and the struggles inherent in life. The poem focusses on tempting inaction and escape from their responsibilities. The poem’s rich and sensual descriptions of the Lotos Land seem to glorify inadvertently the state of languor and detachment from reality. The poem is primarily descriptive and reflective lacking in dramatic action. The poem indicates the ambiguity of the poet’s stance towards one’s own duties and sense of courage to face the struggles in life. The beauty and sensuous imagery of the verse seems to overshadow the thematic depth and moral implications of the mariners’ decision and judgement values. Some others think that the poet criticizes the relentless work of Victorian society. This poem shows Tennyson’ mastery of the language, keen observation of Nature and his mastery of the verse and rhythm.

                                 ******************

  4th July 2025                      Somaseshu Gutala

 

 






                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Monday, June 23, 2025

TRUE LOVE

                                                  

                                                                    

                                      

1.       To taste the divine cup of love, a rare blessing indeed 

   Enchanted by false illusions we often blunder

   Mistaking everything as that feeling divine

   Our precious time they misuse and plunder

   Except waste of time nothing we gain

   We rush through our routine at breakneck speed

   So much patience and perseverance we need

   No emotional outburst, no hasty greed.

 

2.      Like fools we see everything as pleasure

  We estimate everything in terms of gain

  Mistaking every feeling without strain

  True selfless love, often we ignore and miss

  Mere outward charms misunderstood as bliss

  We run after false mirage of external things

  Temporary fleeting thrill only it brings.

 

3.          True love transcends the bounds of time and place

       It changes not with evanescent charms

       It maintains its status even in turbulent storms;

       It will not yield to passion’s unsteady ways;

       It will not surrender to outward gaudy show

       It shines ever bright with her natural glow

       In spite of hurdles, it never vanishes and fades

       It transcends egoistic barriers man-made. 

 

4.     Above the pull of brutal rage

 Love does not yield to vindictive state

 Love is forgiving; no fury and hate

 No deceptive ways or fall into the maze

 Love ennobles itself in sacrifice

 Love does not yield to selfish lies

 Love survives in mutual understanding and trust

 Love does not degrade to cheating brutal lust.

 

5.     In spite of failures Love will not die

 Love dwells within unchanging and bright

 With her sweet memories she shines like a star at night

 Love is not tethered to worldly bonds lifeless and dry

 Like immortal legends imprinted on hearts

 Love humanizes every mind with noble thoughts

 Love lives inspiring sympathy in every mind

 Lifting our souls to be liberal and kind.

               ******************


23rd June 2025                  Somaseshu Gutala

 

 

 

 

 

           

  

Monday, June 16, 2025

A Sinner’s Hope

 

                             


                           

                       

1.       Unrestrained myself, innumerable sins, I commit

Unlimited mercy still You reveal
The pangs of remorse though not I feel

With flower-fresh bosom I dare not kneel

Yet still You feel, my Lord! am I fit

To receive Thy blessings if I do not lead

A virtuous life, without self-destructive speed?

The warning voice of conscience if I do not heed.

 

2.       What is the use of my knowledge deep?

Whatever we learn to imbibe becomes mute,

If it does not restrain our desires and refute;

Like tempting mermaids, they seem so pretty and cute

What use if it allows our discrimination sleep?

If it does not restrain desires unchecked and dire

Sweeping swiftly like raging forest-fire;

As if hurling me down from a rugged hill steep.

 

3.     So impervious our misleading minds

       Even adverse conditions and troubles won’t change

 My attitudes, actions and mental range

 Whatever they do it seems right, so strange

 Who will save us from restless routine grind?

 Even dread of punishment will not reform;

             Bewitched by pleasures we yield to the false charm

             Will worldly things give true joy and unruffled calm?

       

4.     Still your boundless mercy and your promise

 Magnanimous gives us assuring trust

 Whoever chants Thy names will tide over this gust

 Of this maze of whirling passions and thrust

 No matter, of whatever state of degrading sins

 He will never perish and is bound to win

 From this distracting turmoil and dreadful din;

 And rise like a star through this gloomy debris.

 *****************************

Note:   "Abandon all varieties of dharmas and simply surrender unto Me alone. I shall liberate you from all sinful reactions; do not fear." --Bhagavad Gita


    16th June 2025                           Somaseshu Gutala

 

 

            

            

  



 

 

 

 

Sunday, June 8, 2025

THE RAIN AT NIGHT

 

          


                             

                               


              

                     

 1.     The rain played havoc in the city streets

 The speeding vehicles caught unawares

 Amidst swelling gutters and drains; who dares

 To wade through deep waters- a risky feat;

 All traffic came to sudden standstill sheer

 Horns blared; tempers perturbed; none can clear

 This mess through the tight packed lanes to move on;

 The heavy downpour continued till dusky morn.

 

2.     The rain seems to teach a bitter lesson

 To struggling city proud of her status and state;

 Unplanned reckless expansion with no vision

 Still the public realizes not their impending fate

 The rain exposed the potholes of corruption

 Cracked ways and muddy stagnant condition

 Of city ways and the ever rampant greed

 Of overflowing drains and thick, overgrown weeds.

 

3.     The rain brought up dormant lurking lust

 Stirred up innate flames of smoldering love

 The rain washed away the heaps of garbage and dust

 The rain life-giving blessings poured from above

 Childish innocence jumped with airy delight

 With fresh green leaves the trees tossed bright

 The clouds resounded with flashing thunders this night

 The earth with fresh look seemed a joyous sight.

 

4.     The rain pushed estranged lovers to meet in gloom

 Wiping out their differences, unseen

 Firing their sleeping desires at once to bloom

 The rain refreshed the trees with radiant sheen;

 The rain like a magic wand brought hope and cheer

 The rain bid farewell through starry night clear

 The rain left everything fresh, shining bright

 The rain enhanced the lovely blissful night.

 

5.     The rain transcending man-made status and state

 Bestowed her blessings in bounteous measure

 On every herb, creature and oceans vast

 The rain at night filled us with immense pleasure

 And made us brood upon our life routine

 Burdened with loads of guilt and musings mean;

 Nature’s power and purging effect of rain

 We feel serene and solace in dark star-studded domain.

                           ************ 

  8th June 2025                     Somaseshu Gutala

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                      

Sunday, May 25, 2025

This Too Will Pass

                   

                  


            


    

                                                                

 1.   Thick pall of darkness seen around

        Ruthless gunshots heard and bloodshed

        Of innocent couples with helpless cries spread;

        Begging tears for mercy moved not those bloodhounds

        They reveled in shooting with savage delight

        A most dreadful shocking dark night

        Resulting in most grievous loss

        Transgressing bounds and Nature’s laws.

 

2.    Blood-sodden bodies scattered here and there

       What sins have those victims done?

       What spoils have these wicked creatures won?

        A very cruel act of slaughter unfair

        Humanity shudders at their foul deed

        Is there any noble cause seen in this indeed?

        Vicious acts gladden not gods and justice;

        Sheer dastardly acts of reckless cowardice.

 

3.    What glory from gods will they get?

       Is gross misuse of power their creed?

       Sheer violence and hate they breed

       Too late for their deeds they will regret

       This abominable heinous crime

       A dark smudge on pages of Time;

       So many wars and assaults in the past

       Though not forgotten will not last.

       Though they perpetuated so much loss

       Change will happen; this too will pass.

 

4.   What happened to destructive powers

      No trace of their existence remains;

      No trace of their struggles and strain;

      No trace of their monumental towers

      Both the slayer and the slain will fall

      To Time’s grim unexpected call;

      Sly, crooked means will lead to crooked goals

      Once done, their impact one cannot control.


5.  Brute power coupled with hatred

     Perverts knowledge in risky ways;

     Causes loss of life and leads to disgrace;

     Once ignited evil like wildfire spreads

     Destroying self and human worth

     Disturbing peace and goal of human birth

     Destruction easy it seems, a transient gain

     The loss of life and past glory, can we get back again?

                       *******************


    25th May 2025                            Somaseshu Gutala