Poetic genius: A slave to creative emotion

Kazi Nasir Mamun

October 2018

Art & Literature

English

No creative man writes to book his spot in the history of literature. He writes spontaneously because he feels an irresistible demand for writing. How it comes to his mind is indeed an unexplainable reality and to analyze it is unnecessary too. We need to create and enjoy our creation. The source or the process of creativity is not the function literature can deal fruitfully. Science possesses its full right to go deep into it and psychological analysis is a must then. Creative men are those who are slaves to their creative emotion. He abides by the force he feels inside just as a slave follows orders of his lord. But in reality, a creative man’s life is not analogous to that of a slave. Rather an opposite one. Most often he enjoys freedom like an emperor. Poetic genius, without this freedom, can not percolate from the core of heart and if it somehow becomes brain oriented in touch with merit, it becomes pedantic rather than poetic. Having genius is one thing and to materialize genius through practice and restless cultivation is another. Having genius is not worth praising unless or until it is exposed to poetic creation with full-fledged creativity. Nowadays the value of a poet or a literary man is geared towards achieving media coverage. A poet is rated on how frequently he is exposed to media, not on whether a poetic work is subject to plagiarism or it is fully distinct in technique or thematic evaluation. Consequently, some artificial poets emerge in literary territory. They, by hook or by crook, want to catch hold of media so that they can be marked as one of the prominent poetic figures of their own decades. They, in fact, instill low-graded taste in the psyche of the helpless readers who, because of hyper complexity of life, have little time to explore the best or better poetic creation. There are some among aforesaid poets who are indiscriminate followers of the poetic techniques mostly used and ruthlessly chewed in European countries and then in Kolkata. They avoid our tradition and almost neglect our indigenous knowledge which could have been used for our poetic achievement. The real sense of tradition causes holistic approach to a poet’s creation. Poetic creation, if it is of national value to some extent, is not sudden emergence of anything which seems like a stranger to the poetic mind who creates. In fact, a chronological impact either consciously or in a subconscious way bears the mark of connectivity with the creation of a poet’s predecessor which has been flowing from time immemorial up to the present moment and in touch with the new current will be crossing the distant mark with all charms of its individuality. Imitating over-chewed imported literary technique may have immediate attraction for the readers but in the long run it loses all its poetic value because immediate attraction changes immediately. Tradition may also be tinged or tainted by the overflow of media-impact and global infliction of various cultural items. But the basis on which tradition spreads its multi-colored branches remains protected by those who feel sensitively, rather heartily, for the preservation of tradition people have been cherishing as the identity of the nation. They are patriotic stakeholders who invest their mind and defensive labour for the preservation of own culture. Tradition is a style not a fashion. And it is a style of an independent nation that wants to raise its head with its distinctive features in various global functions. Literature is of great value in this case. If tradition, as Eliot indicates, is a matter of laborious acquisition, I discourage it. Because tradition is also ‘a powerful overflow’ subconsciously passing through people’s mind, mind that finds entertainment with a sense of heart touching nearness tradition can provide profusely and profoundly. So, it is not a matter of acquisition. Because acquisition is connected with those who are aliens in a foreign country now dedicated to be one of her at the cost of life. Their problem is existential. Those who are natives need not be so. Because they never suffer from the sense of unacquaintedness. What they need most is to cast a mystic look at tradition, look at tradition warm heartedly. Even otherwise, acquisition involves experimental hypothesis that helps fade away eternal spontaneity by involving brain associated with merit instead of uninterrupted genius. Media, on the other hand, diverts a poet from creativity to popularity, popularity often turning out to be a temptation rather than an inspiration. Again, popular mind, most often, follows suit behind the bellwether and cannot explore the artistic height of a creation. As a result, instead of succumbing to the illusion of popularity, a real genius needs to be an incessant practicing poet irrespective of whether media pays heed to his poetic creation or not. Because in such an age of capitalistic culmination media justifies the market value of everything. Getting into the grips of media, even a great artistic creation turns out to be a commodity. Real poet is a practicing heart rather than a practicing brain. He is genius rather than meritorious. He has no official duty to place himself in literary history. He will just respond to the inner call and raise himself to a great position. More or less, his poetic strength will ensure if he is attached or not to the poetic chronology flowing up to the present moment. Media has nothing to do or a little if it gets ready to be honest enough to descend upon a real genius poet. And truly speaking, creation, if it is worthy of being evaluated, has a power within to fruitfully come out to draw attention. But a poet writes only for inner demand.