To pen a poem

Out of love and curiosity, I chose English literature for my studies. I was really surprised to see the capacity of my teachers to memorise the names of the great poets and novelists of past centuries. I envy people who possess this extraordinary power.

I told one of my friends that I wanted to be a great poet so that the future generation of teachers may remember my name. I began to study literature, especially poetry. Because I observed that in poetry there is no restriction of syntax. My teachers taught me the definition of poetry. Wordsworth said, “Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings… recollected in tranquility.” Though I recited the definition for my exams, I thought it wasn’t really applicable because in the Sunday editions of almost all newspapers I have seen dozens of poems which are certainly not the outburst of feelings or emotions alone!

I was overjoyed to see a great number of poets in my mother tongue. I think they surpass the tradition of the English poets in all respects. My teachers taught me that a poem must have a metre. Till then I had known only the metres of light, water but not of poetry! I returned to ask my teacher about it. Surprised, he only laughed at me. I presume that this may be one of the characteristics of the learned men. Someone later told me that a metre in a poem is like a beautiful dress but I had seen many poems without this beautiful dress’! I dared not to ask my teacher about it because he, too, had fallen in love with poetry. His published poems in the Sunday editions, fetched him some honorarium. This gave me an impetus to write a poem. Hence, I gripped the pen in my fingers and slowly began to write down words on paper. I could earn my pocket money out of this business. It would be then not only the rearrangements of words, but an occupation not everyone has the ability to master.

Presently the world has become a prosaic one. It seems that all feelings and emotions have lost. I cannot understand what made poetry of Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats more rich and remarkable. I am sure that my poem will not get the same limelight or appreciation.

I love poetry because it describes life fully. Only reason or an intellect will not solve the problems of life, but sometimes just makes a man’s state of mind more prosaic. But to become a human being, he needs an emotional aspect too. And, hence, I decided to write a poem!