Re: More About GSS (fwd)
Nyayapathi Srinivasa Rao (vasu@india.hp.com)
Wed, 24 Dec 97 9:51:41 IST
Sree Uday says:
> >> His works were admired by SreeSree and Viswanatha.
> >> SreeSree says in a memorable stanza which opens :
> >>
> >> Saeshaen nee kavita coosaen
> >> adi padyamaa Frenchi madyamaa.....
> >>
>
> No offense, but if one were to line up the mediocre telugu poets whom
> SrI SrI unduely praised and laid them end to end, we can probably go
> round the earth eight times. One had to only go and ask him to write a
> foreword or a review, and he was never able to say "No" or give his
> honest opinion in such matters.
I partly agree with you. I respect your love of poetry.
I was expecting somebody should say this. Please note that i am
introducing Seshen to Telusaers. I do not necessarily agree with
the editor of Caitanya Kavita. I am just a 'sahaayakuDu'. Actually
one among three sahaayakulu to Caitanya Kavita.
GSS' poorvaaSrama chhandoebaddha kavitvam
is certainly good. He surely resisted the cheap trend of imitating
SreeSree and producing third-grade nonsense which found political patrons
masqueraded as literary icons. GSS is an acknowledged master of three
languages. His knowledge in poetics - ancient or modern, western or eastern
is mactched by few.
I should say more. Even a diehard Seshen's fan like Boddupalli Purushottam
says 'Seshen did not write a mahaakaavyam. He should write one.'
Scholars have recognized that GSS' was a different voice.
>
> >> Not that there were no critics.
> >> Dr C Narayan Reddy, the second Telugu to win the most prestigious
> >> award, the Gyaanapeetham, has been conistently critical of
> >> Seshendra's aatmaaSraya kavitvam (sic). IMHO, si.na.re was
> >> unfair, to say the least!
>
> "It is the irony of our times,
> no subject matter for immortal verse,
> That we who lived by honest dreams
> Are forced to defend the bad against the worse"
>
> sinArE may have written any amount of garbage, but he was right on this
> occasion. I would only contend that being AtmASrayaM was the least of
> the problems with GSS's poetry. He strikes me as being pretentious,
> insincere, and lacking in depth (My opinions only, but very strong
> opinions).
GSS doesn't strike me as pretentious.
GSS is a neo-romanticist who lived during post-romantic period. He
is possibly too sincere and too sensitive a scholar not to be influenced
by Marxism.
> Just a small example -
>
> "naenu cEtula meeda mallelu kaTTuku rAlEdu
> saMceelO bAmbulu vaesukuni vaccAnu" (something like that, purists kindly
> excuse).
>
> >>
> >> (The lines :
> >> poolu kommalloe irukkunna paaTalu
> >> pakshulu gallulloe egiripoetunna poolu
> >>
> >> were GSS's)
> >>
>
> I remember one of his "gems" that Hyderabad Doordarsan inflicted on us -
>
> "allAku vaeddAmu malle poolu
> bAlAjI karpiddAm hOlI gulAlu" (?)
Those are not his best lines, IMHO
>
> Muslims do use malle poolu, but as far as I am aware, they use them on
> graves and on the samAdhis of saints (peer bAbAs). Never to worship
> allAh, who in their view has no form, and who has forbidden any kind of
> idol worship.
>
> hOli gulAlu is a North Indian phenomenon, and not usually associated
> with vEnkaTESwara swAmy (bAlAjI for our iMdirA pati).
>
> This is quite typical of GSS, though. His forte is juxtaposition of
> images that can catch your attention, but which neither make sense nor
> leave a good taste in your mouth. (Again, my opinions).
>
> Regards,
>
> Uday "Is French Wine really that bad?" Bhaskar
Uday gaaroo, why don't you tell us who since SreeSree
wrote great poetry?
Afterall, really great poetry is as rare as a revoultionary
[scientific] discovery/invention.
--
Regards & Thanks
Vasu.