AJU MUKHOPADHYAY; THE PAPER BOAT[ PRAKASH BOOK DEPOT BAREILLY]-243003, 2007, ISBN 978-81-7977-234-8 Rs 50 A BOOK REVIEW BY DR. RAM SHARMA SENIOR LECTURER IN ENGLISH C-26, SHRADHAPURI PHASE2, KANKERKHERA, MEERUT, U.P. Aju Mukhopadhyay is a significant name in Indian English Poetry and he continuosly divert our attention by his haikus and other forms of poetry.He is a poet, essayist and fiction writer. He writes on diverse themes like travel, food, health, culture and festivals , on Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, on Nature , Spiritualism, Environment etc His short stories have been published in various renowned magazines and have been broadcasted through All India Radio. He has authored nine books in English.The present volume contains 37 poems .In the first poem `Morning`, he looks as fresh as William Wordsworth, ``Nothing is as fresh as morning, And so hopeful of its journey in the offing, Sweeter than honey, It cannot be compared to any` In the next poem `T`ime`s sovereignty`, he reminds us Coleridge`s `Ancient Mariner` ``All around a mariner, Water everywhere, Not a drop to drink, Moments escape the eternity`` Next three poems he has penned on Time entitled``About the time, With the time and Time flows`` He remembers us Shakespearean sonnet on Time in which he reminds us its destructive effect and at the same time questions who can stop the swift moving feet of Time. In the next poem `` In the last phase of night``, he is telling us the significance of dawn for Yogis and dreams ripe in this phase ``Everything remains inert and sleepy, Silence engulfs the earth from end to end, Many happy dreams are conceived`` Aju takes us to Vijaynagar dynasty in his next poem entitled``Silent Witness of Bygone Ages`` ``We are shocked to read what historian Sewell wrote, Never perhaps in the history of the world has such havoc been wrought, And wrought so suddenly, on so splendid a city----`` Aju laments to see the growing metropolitan cities by cutting trees and mountains in his next poem`` The days have Passed By``. Like a true environmentalist he expresses his worries, Villages are metamorphosed to hybrid creatures, Living in separate corners of the globe, Never can we recreate the things we beheld, Or time we lived them`` The poet raises the issue of growing materialism in his next poem``A Dream Like State`` ``The more he lives near you, More by you he`s possessed, More his living in the world, Becomes a dream like state`` In his next poem entitled he takes us to bliss of joy . `` Other than a vision sublime, Wakeful in the other world, full of liberty, I swam in an unending ananda lahari`` [ A Vision Sublime] In his next poem Soliloquy he remembers his young days which can`t be returned again His poems entitled `I and Me`` and `Presence` presents seasons of life through beautiful imagery taken from nature. `` And silence makes me alone, I se me a long distance, Coming closer I long to embrace, As I wait for a shower of grace`` [I and Me] The poet describes the calm and cool atmosphere of the forest through his next poem entitled``Everywhere`.Next two poems entitled ``Matrimandir, Auroville` and From darkness towards Light`` remembers us the land and teachings of Mharashi Arvind. `` Darkness is covered by darkness, Layer after layer, Light beyond the womb, Is illusion`` [ From darkness towards light] In poem entitled `What an age we are passing through!` is again clarion call of an environmentalist ``What an age we are passing through, Ecology destroyed , disharmony brought to nature, Man-Animal relation worsened, By killing daily dumb creatures`` In the next three poems entitled`` Communism, The System , To The Gallows``, he has raised the burning issues of communism, corruption and jail system of India.In the next two poems entitled`` Age of No-War Dawn of Peace`` and Hope , he presents himself as optimist peace lover.Aju gives new definition of a poet in his poem `Poet` `` A poet is known by his poems, As a writer by his writings, Other things otiose, Necessary for bio-notes`` The next four poems entitled`` In Memoriam, A Real Day, The real choice and Frankness`` , he provides us teachings us to be open minded and open hearted. His poem entitled `` Worship of the body` advises us on our intellectuality in caring our body.
`` Body is the receptacle, ever strong base, On which the sky scrapper is built, A kingdom of mental and vital progress, Homely, secure and reliable indeed`` The last poem entitled `The Paper Boat` is very significant one and reminds us of famous gazal of Jagjit Singh ` Vo kagaj ki kasti, barish ka pani` `` The paper boat, I set adrift, In my childhood, On the flooded road`` Aju Mukhopadhyay is quite successful in his efforts and this poetry volume is a must read for every avid reader of English Literature. Its price is also reasonable.
About the Author
DR. RAM SHARMA IS SENIOR LECTURER IN ENGLISH
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