>Why is there so much outcry against chando poetry and chando poetry
>alone when there is so much mediocre poetry out there in non-chando
>style? Why there is such an unconditional support for one form of poetry?
>Is that not an argument about structure and not content?
-------------------------------------------
That was a nice argument you brought, Sri Rao gAru!
In order to leave my essay less complicated, I leave the word "Mediocre"
to others.
It is not an outcry sir! It is a fact.
Taste dictates the unconditional support in favor of the non-chando poetry.
Need dictates the unconditional support in favor of the non-chando poetry.
We don't accept traditional sciences as sciences. Everyone of us wants to
study advanced sciences and subjects.
Why?
Times have changed sir! That is as simple as that.
The word "TIME" is the most critical one. Are we the "Blind watch-observers"?
----------------------------------------
Takin your "Structure and Content" concept:
Again both observe a natural law. e.g.
Let me give several similar dual concepts (known in sciences) which fit in the
realm of Telugu Poetry, e.g.
1) Form and Function
2) Structure and Property
3) Structure and Activity
4) Structure and Composition
5) Structure and Utilization (use)
Now Sri Bachoti Rao's
6) Structure and Content (same as the #4)
When you take poetry and analyze in the lines of above 6 pairs of concepts:
1) Form and Function
-----------------
The form of the poem has a function.
That function is the "Social Function" now (role in the society).
2) Structure and Property
---------------------
The structure of the poem dictates the property of the poem.
A rigid structure (meter, fillers, metallic words) of the poem offers
rigidity.
A soft structure (no meter, no filler, no metallic words - common tongue) of
the poem offers softness.
I want to bring a couple of concepts here:
a) Controlled Vocabulary (as in Chando Poetry)
b) Natural Language (as in non-Chando Poetry)
Note: Property determines and dictates the structure of the poem.
Structure is dependent upon the property and reflects the property.
3) Structure and Activity
----------------------
The structure of the poem determines the activity (life) of the poem.
If the poem is rigid, it collapses due to the lack of social reinforcement.
Then, the activity of the poem is at the ground state. It happens simply
because of the society (reader community) has a taste for a different
structure. The society needs poetry in a non-rigid structure.
The activity of the poetry will be at the excited state when the poet
presents poetry in the demanded structure (along the changing times and
needs of the average reader).
Note: This activity is the longevity of the poem.
This activity is the history of the poem.
Structure decides the activity of the poem.
Activity determines the history of the poem.
Both structure and activity decide the fate of the poem, eventually.
The longer people need and use the poem, the greater the activity
of the poem.
4) Structure and Composition
-------------------------
The structure and composition, as in a physical or biol. objects, in poetry also
are inseparable and amalgamated entities.
The composition dictates the structure.
If a poet uses "black granite words", the poem will corrode with time.
That is what happening with traditional poetry.
Readers don't want that type of hard composition.
Change of material (composition) is immediately necessary.
Composition changes with the need of the changing society and changing times
in turn change the entire structure of the poem and poetry.
This is true in case of any literary piece, for that matter.
Note: Composition dictates and determines the structure of the poem.
Structure of the poem is dependent upon the composition.
The composition is "words of expression" here sir!
The words of expression in a poem these days are common man's words.
The words of expression are common man's needs.
The words of expression are common man's fortune's vicissitudes.
Time - The changing time dictates the composition of a poem, hence,
the structure.
5) Structure and Utilization
-------------------------
The use of the poem is very important.
Traditional poet wrote poems those days to be praised by the Kings and
queens and to be admired and supported.
Now! Those kings and queens are sleeping under 6" of mud.
The only people who will support, admire, and praise the poets are the
"common people", literates, and intelligentia. These common folks
want a message, an inspiration, a wake up call (whatever it may for
whatever factor and reason).
There is a trust these days between a "poet" and "common folks" (the
readers). The poet has a responsibility to support his family by offering
what the reader wants and also the poet has another big responsibility
to communicate effectively with the common man.
Utilization of poetry = EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN AN UNDERSTANDABLE
LANGUAGE
People these days in Telugu Desa speak a different language and read
in the same language. That medium of effective communication which is
provided by the poet and enjoyed by the reader is that abstract
"UTILIZATION". Depending on the reader's needs (utilization), the
structure of the poem emerges out.
Note: Structure is an essential crieterion for proper utilization.
Utilization dictates the structure.
6) Structue and Content (Sri Bachoti Rao's Concept pair)
-----------------------------------------------------
This is slightly different from my Structure and Composition.
The content here (IMHO) is the essence, the message, the BAvam.
The content in the present day's poetry is the society's content i.e.
common man's cry or outcry, sufferings, and their human stamped "KARMA".
Remember Sir! Times have changed. Content of a poem has changed.
e.g. Even Bhakta Ramadas changed the content of his lyric while he
was imprisioned - "evaDabbA sommanI kulukutU tirigEvU rAmachandrA!"
Didn't Ramadas violated the ground rules of praising Lord Rama as
stone-carved by the BaktAgrEswarAs? The context changed and
in turn changed the content. Ultimately the entire structure of the
Ramadas' lyric changed.
The content is very very important for the structure of a poem because that
content brings the right words. The right words in non-chando poetry of
the present days are the people's words.
Note: Content (essence, bhAva, message) are important ingredients of the
composition of a poem (words of expression).
The composition dictates the structure of the poem.
The structure of the poem, through the composition, is standing
solely on the foundations of words used.
Now, examine the schematic representation below:
SCHEMATIC REPRESENTATION OF TIME, STRUCTURE, AND SOCIETY IN POETRY FRAMEWORK.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
| TIME |
--------
|
|
V
----------------------- Poem STRUCTURE---------------------------
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
v v v v v v
FUNCTION PROPERTY COMPOSITION UTILIZATION CONTENT ACTIVITY
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
v v v v v v
--------------------- SOCIETY - READER - COMMON MAN--------------
Notes: Time is unidirectional.
Rest are all bidirectional.
There is feedback regulation at all the 3 hierachical levels
below TIME.
This is an arbitrary division for the author's convenience and
readers' easy understanding.
---pAlana
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed above are not those of the CAS at all.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------