Re : [Great Writers, Biases..Times]
Nyayapathi Srinivasa Rao (vasu@india.hp.com)
Thu, 27 Feb 97 12:15:19 IST
vaeloori garu replies
> In the west, starting with Aristophanes, Aristotle, Theophrastus,
> Tertullian, Petronius, Cato the Censor, William Shakespeare,
> Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Jonathan Swift, Chaucer,
> Tolstoy, Hemingway, Shaw and many many more of the
> decorated literary stalwarts,-- including James Thurber
> the humorist, (and not a good cartoonist,)have written
> poetry, prose, novels and essays condemning women!
>
Unfortunately the list is longer than that.
Even TS Eliot wasn't forgiven for his tangibly
clear anti-semitic sentiments.
Nearer home, i can even show srisri (though i am as good an admirer
of srisri as any of you is)
'poeyina Congress pratishTa punjukonae deppuDu
saradaapaDi maacakamma samartaaDinappuDu'
In my opinion, the above is even worse because it
makes cheap laughter out of somebody's physical disability.
And it is nonsensical to say, in this context, srisri is great
he is the only poet telugus can be proud of and all that...
However the times were like that!
Nobody, not even SriSri, could fully rise above the prejudices and
biases of their times! Atleast not always.
I also THINK it should be blamed on srisri's choosing
a chhandoe meter. Without that meter, there would be a million
other ways of depicting an 'impossible event'.
The above also serves as an example to support arguement
that chhandas restricts expression more often than it helps.
--
Regards & Thanks
Vasu.