CHAPTER-2:KALAPI AND THE ENGLISH ROMANTIC POETS: Umashankar Joshi, an eminent poet, critic and scholar of Gujarati Literature, once

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1 CHAPTER-2:KALAPI AND THE ENGLISH ROMANTIC POETS: 2.1 BACKGROUND: Umashankar Joshi, an eminent poet, critic and scholar of Gujarati Literature, once made a very apt observation regarding the influence of Western literature on Indian literature: અવ ચ ન ભ રત ય સ હ ય ત પ મન સ પક ન પ દ શ છ. એથ અ યથ વચ ર કરવ ક લ છ. સ હ યન વ વધ વ પ તરત જ અપન વવ મ આ ય. સમયન જ રય ત ન પહ ચ વળવ ગ ઝડપભ ર વક. (Desai, 1975:265) (Modern Indian literature is the product of Western contact. It is difficult to think otherwise. Different literary forms were immediately adopted into our literature. To meet the demands of the contemporary period, prose developed very rapidly.)(translation:mine) This observation assumes greater importance with respect to the influence of Western literature on Gujarati literature; as the contact of Gujarati literature with the Western literature in general and English literature in particular considerably renewed and instilled new hopes and aspirations with a fresh way of looking at objects during the second half of the 18 th century in the history of Indian literature. It was during the period that many new literary forms like lyric, essay, novel, etc. were introduced into Gujarati literature which were not there prior to that. With the British occupying the state to a large extent and with the spread of English education, the period also proved to be a great inspiration for the numerous young Indians who got an opportunity to study English literature. Many also started reading histories of some European countries like England, Greece, Rome, etc. and the great romantic 56

2 masters like Sir Walter Scott, Lord Byron, J S Mills, William Blake and William Wordsworth among the others with great aspirations and new hopes for new perceptions and inspiration. The reading of these poets impregnated their minds with newer insights. This is the usual outcome of any contact of two civilizations or literatures. They make lasting impressions upon each other positive or negative. It took place during the great period of English Renaissance in the 16 th century which was inspired and influenced by the classical Greek and Roman literatures. The great literary figure of all times William Shakespeare borrowed freely from the classical Greek and Roman literatures. His works have directly or indirectly influenced most other writers of the times to come. In the second half of the 19 th century in Gujarat, some outstanding literary figures like Narmad, Narsinhrao, Nanalal and the others came under the influence of the great English romantic poets like William Blake, William Wordsworth, P B Shelly, Lord Byron, John Keats, Thomas Moore, among the others. Narsinhrao, for instance, wrote under the influence of English Romantic poets and is also highly appreciative of the Western influence upon his poetry. Similarly, Nanalal was influenced and received inspiration from Wordsworth and Tennyson and created a beautiful world of poetry. This is not to take the credit away from these great Gujarati poets of astounding capabilities in making a statement that they were influenced by the English romantic poets and not denying their claim as outstanding poets of original ideas and imagination. In fact the endeavour here is to try and make a sincere attempt and accord them their due recognition that they rightfully deserve. They have indeed created an amazing world of poetry by the sheer touch of their individual brilliance. Besides writing original poems, Narsinhrao and Nanalal have also translated some of the poems of Wordsworth and Shelly. 57

3 2.2 NATURE IN THE POETRY OF KALAPI AND WORDSWORTH: Sursinhji Takhtasinhji Gohil used to write poetry under the pseudonym of Kalpai which means a peacock in Gujarati. He was the king or Thakor of the erstwhile state of Lathi situated near Amreli city in the then Kathiawad region or the then Saurashtra province of Gujarat. He showed signs of becoming a poet at a very early age but he actually started writing poetry at the age of 16 and continued till he died at a pre-matured age of only 26. But during an active poetic career that spanned over a period of approximately a decade, he had created in great quantity in literature which is highly expressive and subjective. A constant flow of literary production, exploration of almost all the literary genres prevalent during the period, he tried his hands even at translations from English to Gujarati. To quote Navalram J Trivedi from his book Kalapi: ક ક રવમ ક ટલ ક ક ય ઉપરથ લખ ય છ એમ ન ધ પ ન ચ ક ત આ છ... કલ પ ન પ મ થ બ થ ડ ક ક ય ન ળ મળ છ ત જ બત વ છ ક કલ પ એ કદ પણ પ ત ન ક ય અ વ દ હ ય ત ત પ વવ ન ય સ નથ કય. (N J Trivedi, 1944:103) (Kant has written in the footnote that some of the poems of Kekarav have been based upon English poems... there are traces of some other poems to its sources from the letters of Kalapi that show that Kalapi has never tried to hide his poems as translations.)(translation:mine) But he is at his very best in the field of lyric poetry which was his forte. Lyricism suited his temperament the most and it came to him quite naturally and that is why his best creations comprise of some finest lyrics of Gujarati poetry. His skills as a poet improved greatly with age and time. To quote Sundaram from his book Arvachin Kavita: 58

4 વનન છ લ ણ ક વરસમ, ખ સ કર ન શ ભન સ થ ન લ ન પછ ન ગ ળ મ એ ગટ ક ય એ ગહનત ન અ ય ત સ ચ પશ આપ છ. (Sundaram, 2004:168) (During the last three years of his life, the poems inspired especially after his marriage with Shobhana show true (philosophical) insight into his poems.)(translation:mine) But his initial poems were very coarse in style and in diction. ત પહ લ એ ક ય ત ન વનન વક સ સ થ આછ પ તળ ર ત વ કર છ. (એજન) (Poems written before that keep streaming thinly with the progress of his life.)(ibid)(translation:mine) The same reference can be had from the book titled Kalapi by Navalram J Trivedi in his book titled Kalapi: બ જ એ થ ય ત મ છ ક કલ પ ન શ આતન ક વત લખવ ન ય સ આવ નબળ હત, ત થ ડ જ સમયમ ત સ ર ક ય ક વ ર ત લખ શ? (N J Trivedi, 1944:41) (Another question that comes to the mind is that if the initial attempts of Kalapi at writing poetry was such weak, then how come he could compose so beautiful poems within a very short period of time?)(translation:mine) The same observation is also made by Indravadan K Dave in his book Kalapi-Ek Adhyayan about this wherein he writes: ર સ હન ર ભક ગ ન લન મ ત મન ર ભક પ રચન અણઘડ અન ઘણ કચ શવ ળ છ. એન પ યભ ષ એક સરખ નથ. મનન ભ વ પ યમ ઉત રવ મ ઘણ મ એળ ય છ. (Dave, 1980:28) (The initial poetic composition of Sursinh is coarse and weak. The diction is not uniform and all the efforts to express his feelings go in vain.)(translation:mine) Nevertheless his poems showed great signs of a true genius. To quote Anantray M Raval from his book Kalapino Kaavyakalap: 59

5 એમન આવ વ ચન-પ રશ લન એમન મનમ સ હ ય ધ રણ ક આ અન એમન લખ ણમ ચ તન ત વ આ એમ કહ શક ય. (Raval, 1954:7) (His (such) reading-contemplation set in him high standards for literature and brought in his writings the element of contemplation.)(translation:mine) But what is most noticeable right from his early age is his very strong inclination for Nature and her elements. He heard the stories about Kashmir and other places from his teacher Narhar Joshi through the recitation of some Sanskrit stanzas taken from the poem Meghdoot and other dramas of Kalidas, the greatest of Sanskrit dramatists, and he was simply mesmerized by the description about the places mentioned therein and made up his mind to visit Kashmir at least once in his lifetime. The descriptions had created kind of a charm of the place around him. Even as a child he used to visit various beautiful nearby places like ponds, temple on a hillock, etc. which were abundant in natural beauty around Rajkot with his teacher. During such visits, the teacher would quote and recite from the poems of Kalidas and other Sanskrit dramatists, and such incidents were instrumental in creating a great love for nature in Kalapi. (Raval, 1954:6-8) In one of his letters addressed to his wife Rajba, he says, મ ર પહ લ થ જ આ દ શ (ક મ ર) પર ત ત હત જ અન હવ વધ ર (જ વ થ ) ગ ઠ બ ધ ત ય છ. (Shukal, Kalapi Patrasamput, 1998:396) (I have from the beginning, had great love for this region (Kashmir), which is now only increased (after visiting it) and is becoming a bond.) (Translation:Mine) Incidents like those mentioned above indicate Kalapi s deep love for nature which only grew with the passage of time and it is very well reflected all throughout his poetry in different ways. It is absolutely justifiable to compare his poetry with that of 60

6 William Wordsworth which will only yield fresh outlook and new findings. Therefore, Nature plays a very important role in the poetry of Kalapi. We can see his imagination running very freely in his poetry stirred up by thought and study, and one can only read them and wonder at the melody produced and also at the vague suggestions which they conjure up in the minds of the readers. His poetry contains a note of human sympathy which is at many occasions more tender and profound than one can find it in the poetry of Wordsworth or indeed, in any other of the great English romantic poets. Even in the few of his later poems, there is something of the marvellous imaginative power that makes his work equal to the best of any other great romantic poet and we still find a soul tender, glorious and quiet in the tranquillity of a great peace. In the latter half of the 19 th century, Narmadashankar and Dalpatram were among the most popular Gujarati poets whom anybody would try to imitate. To quote from the book Gujarati Sahityano Itihas: એ સમયમ સ થ વ લ ક ય ક વઓ દલપતર મ અન નમ દ શ કર હત. કલ પ એ ત મન આર ભન ક ય મ ઉભયન સ ર મ ઠ અસર દ ખ ડ છ... છત બ ન વ ત એ છ ક આ સવ કરત ત ણ ઘ વ ત ક યપ ત બત છ. (Joshi, Raval and Shukal, Gujarati Sahityano Itihas,1978:555) (Dalpatram and Narmadashankar were the most popular poets of the period. Kalapi showed good and bad influences of both the poets initially... but what is peculiar is that he has created hugely of them all.)(translation:mine) Any budding poet would try to write poetry in the style of these great poets. To quote Anantray M Raval from his book Kalapino Kavyakalap: 61

7 આર ભક ળમ ક ઈ પણ લ ખક ર ગ મ ઓન થ ડ ઝ ઝ અસર બત વ. ચ ર બ થ શ ખવ -મ ળવવ ત પર કલ પ પણ એ બત વ છ. (Raval, 1954:22) (Any writer in the beginning would show signs of his predecessors. Kalapi, being eager to learn from everyone, also showed the same.)(translation:mine) Kalapi attempted a poem in the style of Dalpatram at the age of 16 in In this initial attempt, his creative originality and insight was evident from the poem. A reflection of the style of Narmadashankar, Balashankar, Narsinhrao and Harilal Dhruv can well be traced back to his initial poetry. Similarly, Kalapi at times has not only imitated the styles of the the English Romantic poets like Alfred Tennyson, Thomas Moore, John Keats, William Wordsworth, P B Shelley and the likes but has also borrowed their ideas qute freely. As an emerging poet, Kalapi even translated a few poems of Wordsworth. His translations include Lines Written in Early Spring in Gujarati as Kudrat ane Manushya, Affliction of Margaret as Vriddhamata and Goody Black and Harry Gill as Grammata; whereas the poem Pushpa is inspired by Shelley s To a Skylark and Pahadi Sadhu is the Indianized translation of the famous poem of Goldsmith, The Hermit. Such translations actually helped him develop as a poet. He not only translated those poems, but also thoroughly renewed them with his own perception in a language which was still in a developing state. He transcreated the poems, giving them a touch of his brilliance and through the pages floated an energizing freshness of expression and insight that described special moods of the poet which the world aroused in an attentive mind. Such translations in fact developed Kalapi s poetic vocation and art gradually, and at the same time enriching his insight of the world. Anantray M. Raval, an eminent critic of Gujarati literature, observed in this regard: 62

8 આવ વ ચન થમ એમન મ સ હ યસ ક ર ન સ હ ય મ ગટ ય અન પછ એમન ભ ષ પ રચય અન શ દભ ડ ળન સહ ય કરવ સ થ સ હ યન ચ ધ રણ એમન શ ખવ ડ. (Raval, 1954:15) Such readings first inculcated in him a love for literature and then enriched his vocabulary and taught him high standards of literature. (Translation:Mine) One more critic, in a book titled Aapanu Kaavyasahitya Prakruti ane Pravah published by Aadarsh Prakashan says the following words: કલ પ ન ક ક રવ (૧૯૦૩) ન મ ક વ કલ પ મરણ ર ક શન એમન મ અન ન ક વ તર ક અન વ ન ન ક વ તર ક થ પ છ. (Editor, 2010:32) (The posthumous publication of Kalapi s poems establishes him as the poet of love and tears and the poet of youth.)(translation:mine) Another eminent scholar of Gujarati literature, R. V. Desai made a very significant observation in this regard: Borrowed fantasies and ideas are transformed in the hands of Kalapi and are turned into wonderful poetry. (Translation:Mine)(Cf. Dave, 1969:169) Thus, the highly imaginative mind of Kalapi transforms the familiar realities as the object of his creation and lauds it through the strength of his zealous emotional response and his mind which is as responsive as the radar or an antenna imparts a strong touch of genius to whatever it touches. It is in such treatment of the subject that the strength of Kalapi originally lies. In his description of nature along with all her objects, Kalapi is simply amazing. He elevates man and other objects of life by presenting them against the background of nature. There are hardly any natural occurrences that are ordinary or ugly in his 63

9 creatively imaginative world and which he has not touched upon. His poems take us into a state of sensitive receptivity before the simple incidents of life. His use of the subtle artistic elements of nature that otherwise remain hidden from the ordinary eyes are very imaginatively and skilfully used by his very artistic genius for the most touching creative effects in his poems. To quote Sundaram from his book Arvachin Kavita in this regard: Wordsworth brought તન ક ય ન ળમ... પણ પ ત ન શ લ ન બધ ણ ળવ ર ખ ત ણ નર સ હર વ કરત વધ ર સ દક પ આ છ. દરત અન મ નવન સ બ ધન ભ વન... કલ પ એ વધ ર સ દકત થ અન કળ મકત થ ન પ છ. એ સવ યન પ ત ન ક પન થ ઉ ભવ લ વત ક ય મ કલ પ એ બ અ તન ર ખત સ ધ છ. (Sundaram, 2004:172) (By retaining all his characteristics in his nature poems, Kalapi has endowed it more lucid form than Narsinhrao in his poems. He portrays the relationship between man and nature more artistically and lucidly than Narsinhrao. In the other poems inspired by his own imagination, Kalapi has attained absolutely modern proportions.)(translation:mine) the charm of novelty to things of every day... by awakening the mind s attention from the lethargy of custom and directing it to the loveliness and the wonders of the world before us. (Long, 2003:376) He in fact uttered nothing base in the words of Tennyson. (Cf. Long, 2003:377) His poetry was very serene and noble in spirit. He reflects the mental photographs that he has taken of the things around him, which we feel, are very much like our own. So easily he takes us down to our own memory lane which is always interesting! He shares his own childhood experiences in one of his famous poem The Prelude with us and awakens in us similar memories in the following lines: Oh, when I have hung Above the raven s nest, by knots of grass 64

10 And half-inch fissures in the slippery rock But ill-sustained... While on the perilous ridge I hung alone, With what strange utterance did the loud dry wind Blow through my ear! The sky seemed not a sky Of earth, - and with what motion moved the clouds! (Gutenberg.org) While reading these lines, we recollect our own experiences and impressions of childhood and feel nostalgic. We even go back to our own infancy and boyhood again. We just want to relive our own past and therein lies his power! It is in this sense that he is as sensitive as barometer to every subtle change in the world around him. (Long, 2003:382) At some other place, in the poem The Education of Nature, Wordsworth shows deep faith in the education of nature and imagines that Lucy would be a far better human in the company of nature as she would be taught and educated by her: Three years she grew in sun and shower; Then Nature said, A lovelier flower On earth was never sown: This child I to myself will take; She shall be mine, and I will make A lady of my own......and vital feelings of delight Shall rear her form to stately height, Her virgin bosom swell; Such thoughts to Lucy I will give While she and I together live Here in this happy dell. (Palgrave, 1928:180) 65

11 One of his earlier poems, A Lesson, depicts his interest in the celandine. This is the earliest indication of the English poetry of a very close and detailed observation of nature and her elements. That again was the earliest indication of deep sympathy and tenderness and also identification of kinship with nature. Wordsworth was the first poet to observe it with sustained interest; and his poem illustrates both the closeness and accuracy of his study of it his facts have the precision of science and his belief that the meanest flower can give Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears. (Palgrave, 1928:108) There is a flower, the Lesser Celandine, That shrinks like many more from cold and rain, And, the first moment that the sun may shine, Bright as the sun himself, tis out again! (Palgrave, 1928:222) In the above lines, the poet simply observes the characteristics of the celandine casually and describes its beauty in simple words. Yet he seems to be stating the flower s virtue by saying that it comes out again with the sun shining again and thereby symbolically suggesting the indomitable spirit of human nature. The lesser celandine is the earliest flower to appear in profusion, and is therefore gathered in handfuls by untaught children attracted by its bright yellow. But it has not the glory of the buttercup-gold nor the drooping grace and fragrance of the cowslip; and so by cursory observer it is passed by like the dandelion. (Palgrave, 1928:109) But Wordsworth showed great and genuine interest in it as it is seen in the poem and his observation is absolutely genuine and minute and close. Similarly, in The Lost Love, the poet compares men with the elements of nature and thereby uses the elements of nature as the background of the poem. He compares the maid with the paths that had never been used before: She dwelt among the untrodden ways 66

12 Beside the springs of Dove; A maid whom there were none to praise, And very few to love: (Palgrave, 1928:179) Elsewhere, the poet feels great joy of his desires among the mountains and Mother Nature. The poem I travell d among unknown men, describes the poet s joy and feelings for Mother Nature: Among thy mountains did I feel The joy of my desire; And she I cherish d turn d her wheel Beside an English fire. (Palgrave, 1928:180) In the same way, Kalapi has portrayed nature very simply yet effectively in his poems. He too has described nature with very minute details, bearing clear mental impressions that he received from around him. Even in his translations wherein he has actually created a totally new world, he has shown the sparks of his individual genius. In his Kudrat ane Manushya which is not an exact translation of Wordsworth s Lines written in Early Spring but a transcreation, he has reflected over the relationship between man and nature: અન આ આ મ ન દરત હ લ નજ કર, ઉડ ડ દ ચ, પકડ વળ ચ પ નજ દલ ;... અર! એ મ ત છ ભ ગન જ ક શ ત ખ છ, નવ ક ય ર જ દયમ અ ન પવ! નહ ળ વચ ર જ દલ બન ભ મ સળગ, અર ર! ર ત જન ત ચલ વ જન અહ!(Gohil, 2000:38) (And Nature holds the soul into her own hands, lets it fly high, once again catches hold of it and pushes it close to her bosom,...is she a 67

13 mother, my sister or peace and bliss (incarnate)? (She) By inspiring new works, soothes my anguish hidden within! Alas! Seeing this, my heart burns to ashes, (by) the way people treat their fellowman thus!)(translation:mine) Kalapi s use of the elements of the nature is also commanding. In one of his poems Shikarine, he describes his deep and heartfelt thoughts over the elements of nature. He has used various elements of nature to convey his deep feelings for the Mother Nature. His sympathetic approach towards Nature is reflected here in this poem. રહ વ દ! રહ વ દ આ સ હ ર, વ ન! ; ઘટ ન રત આવ : વ આ મ સ ત......ત રથ પ મવ પ, યથ આ રત મથ ; ત રથ પ ત ન, ન ક લ મળ શક. પ ન પ મવ ન ત છ ન ણ ગ તન ; પ ત ન સ થ હ ય મ મળશ તન. (Gohil, 2000:417) (O young man! Stop this carnage. Don t be so cruel. The world is a place of the saints... by shooting a bird with an arrow, you can get it physically only. But to really get close to it, listen its songs and you will get the bird with its creator.)(translation:mine) To quote Kamlesh Rabari from a book titled Kalapina Kaavyona Aaswad: અહ ક વન તન ત વ ય ન સહ તન ભ વ ગટ થય છ. તન ત વ ન હ ન પહ ચ ડવ ક વન ઈશન હ ન પહ ચ ડવ લ ગ છ. આ ટએ આપણ ક વ તન ક વ લ ગ છ. ત તન ત વ મ ઈ રન દશ ન કર છ. (Rabari, 2012:70-71) (Here, the poet s sympathetic feeling towards nature is reflected. He believes harming the elements of nature is like harming God. In this regard, our poet is the poet of the Nature. He finds the almighty in the elements of Nature.)(Translation:Mine) In another poem Saarsi, the poet opens the poem with a beautiful picture of forest and uses the elements of nature as a means to convey his philosophy. The cuckoo is 68

14 singing a melodious song; cool and gentle breeze passing from the bamboo trees plays wonderfully melodious and mystical notes; parrots are flying here and there; a rivulet is flowing nearby and a squirrel is busy jumping and playing around. The atmosphere is filled with freshness, zeal and charm. મ ઠ દ ઘ વન વત વન બ હષ ભર ક કલ, ઝ ણ વ સળ શ વર ખભય ચ ડ ળ આલ પત ; ખસક લ ત ન મહ ન વટપ ક રહ ય દ, ન ર ગ ન ક ઘણ મ રવ આક શ ઊડ રહ! (Gohil, 2000:43) (The cuckoo fills the forest with its sweet song; the lark sings sweet and gentle, flute like melodies; a squirrel is playing around here and there and parrots are flying in the sky!)(translation:mine) Jignesh Thakkar, a scholar and a critic, says in this regard: ખ ડક યન ઉઘ ડ ક વ વનન મન હર વણ નથ કર છ. ક યલ ત ન મ ઠ વ નથ વનન હષ થ ભર દ છ. વ સમ થ પસ ર થત પવન મ ર વર ર લ વ ર છ. ખસક લ ત ન ય કલ પ મ મશ લ છ. પ પટ આક શમ ઊડ ર છ. (Thakkar, 2012:77) (The poet begins the Khandkaavya with a fascinating depiction of a forest. The cuckoo is singing pleasantly, mild breeze is passing through bamboo trees creating mellow notes, a squirrel is busy playing and parrots are flying in the sky.)(translation:mine) The diction above is absolutely simple and yet very effective. With a beautiful description of the elements of nature, the poet very skilfully conveys his thoughts about the nature of love and conveys that today man does not realize and understand the value of true love and without even appreciating the niceties of love, he keeps of changing the partner or his/her love every now and then. Wordsworth believes in absolute simplicity of diction. He uses very common words in his sentences. But sometimes they are so very pregnant with some serious 69

15 meaning that, unless brought to us in this way, would have missed our notice. He creates something beautiful out of something very common and simple. He set himself to the task of freeing poetry from all its conceits, of speaking the language of simple truth, and portraying man and nature as they are. (Long, 2003:382) His style is simple to such an extent that sometimes it even escapes our attention. The Lucy poems are the best examples of his simple yet lucid and sweet style. The following lines are taken from The Lost Love which very aptly describes his style. The diction too is quite simple yet pregnant with very deep meaning suggesting many things. A violet by a mossy stone, Half hidden from the eye; Fair as a star, when only one Is shining in the sky. (Palgrave, 1928:179) In the above lines, Wordsworth has very beautifully described the beauty of a violet flower, in the simplest yet effective words, which becomes even more strikingly effective when compared with a lone star! Similarly, Kalapi too created such wonderful word-pictures in very simple language like Wordsworth. In the following lines taken from his poem Gramyamata, he created a very beautiful word-picture of village life in morning: ઉગ છ રખ ભર ર વ હ મ તન વ મ, છ નભ વ છ વ છ, દસત એક નથ વ દળ ; ઠ ડ હમભય વહ અન લ શ ઉ સ હ રત, ઉ સ હ ભર દ સ ક ઉડ ગ ત મ ઠ ગ તડ!(Gohil, 2000:49) 70

16 (The red gentle sun rises in the east, the blue sky is absolutely clear, cold breeze is blowing inspiring enthusiasm; birds are flying singing sweet melodious songs!)(translation:mine) He has created a beautiful and live picture of a countryside common of any Indian village. It is in creating such wonderful word-pictures that he seems to be the closest to Wordsworth. A very clear impression is created into the minds of his readers, because one can easily recall such an impression in one s mind as it is not an uncommon situation. Kalapi awakens rather than creates into the minds of his readers such beautiful impressions. Like Wordsworth, he stirs our memory so deeply that we once again reminisce into our memory of visiting countryside. To quote Prof Rajesh Vankar from his book titled Kalapina Kaavyona Aaswad: કલ પ ન ત મ ભલ નય ત હ ય પર કલ પ એ તન ત વ ન એન વ તવદશ નથ મ ડ ન તક ક ક પનન અવ થ ધ પહ ચ ડ છ. નદ ન ક યમ વ હત, -વ ક પ ખ ન ય મ અવ જ ન પણ વગ ર ત મન ક ય ન વશ ષત ઓ છ. ઉપર ત વર સ ય જન અન વર ન આવત ન ક ય ન વધ ર ગ ઢ બન વ છ. (Vankar, 2012:17) (Kalapi s love for nature is absolutely free and he has symbolically and imaginatively portrayed the elements of nature. The uniqueness of his poems is that the style of those describing rivers are very smooth and free, similarly portrayal of those poems that describe trees-wind or birds are also full of sound and the like. Besides, the arrangement of sound and frequencies make the effect more deep.)(translation:mine) The following lines are taken from his poem Gramya Mata wherein he creates a beautiful word-picture of an old woman against the backdrop of a typical Indian countryside: ધ મ ઉઠ શ થલ કરન ન ન પ સ ર ખ, મ ત નયન નબળ ફ રવ ન એ છ ; ન ત ન એ ય પ ત હ શ ત બ સ રહ ન, 71

17 જ ત ગ ત શગડ પરન દ વત ફ રવ છ! (Gohil, 2000:50) (Rising slowly and bringing the weak hand above her eyes, the old woman looks with her feeble eyes, and her beloved husband, sitting quietly, watching and turning the coals on the stove and sings.)(translation:mine) The selection of words that Kalapi employs to describe the old man and woman is very simple yet powerful and he has been able to create a stunning word-picture of them. By rising slowly, the old woman tries to look at the horse rider by bringing her feeble hand close to her weak eyes this word-picture is simply amazing for the simplicity of diction and yet wonderfully picturesque effect of the typical Indian country scene. The old woman tries to identify the newcomer and the old man is still very care freely looks at him without paying much attention. To quote Varsha Rohit from Kalapina Kaavyona Aaswad: ધ મ થ ઊઠ શ થલ કર છ કર મ ત નબળ ખ વ નન એ છ એ સમય ખ ત નલ પત થ બ સ ન સગડ ન દ વત ફ રવ ર છ. આ ચ મ ન આગ ક વશ ણવ ન આ રત અન ખ તન બ પરવ ઈ મશ અન ષ સહજ વભ વ બત વ છ. (Rohit, 2012:97) (The old mother looks at the coming horse rider by bringing her feeble hand close to her weak eyes by slowly rising and at the same time the old peasant is sitting quietly and turns the coal over. In this picture, the woman s curiosity to know the newcomer and the peasant s carefree attitude is very characteristic of the typical man-woman nature.)(translation:mine) To quote Chinu Modi in this regard from his book Khandkaavya:Swaroop Ane Vikas: ક ઇક શ ચમ ક રક છત અ ય ત ત તજ ય ર ત કથ વ મ આય જન થ છ એ ળ શ લડ શ ષ કવ, પણ ત યમ ત શ ષ ક ધર આ ક ય કલ પ ન ક ય તભ ન ક ટલ ક ઘડ, સ ર પ રણ મજ ય રચન ઓમ એક છ...ક તન મ ર ય દ અપ વ એવ 72

18 આર ભન લ કન ઢ પદબ ધ, ઝ ણવટભય મ ગ તશ લ વ ભ વક ર ખ ચ...ત મ જ કલ પ મ ર ય ન સચવ ય લ લ ઘવન અચરજકર ળવણ આ દન લ ધ યમ ત આપણ સ ર ખ ક ય મ એક બન છ. (Modi, 1973:272) (The storyline is somewhat miraculous yet convincingly organized, the present poem, originally titled Sheladi but later on renamed as Gramyamata, is one of the well-organized compositions of Kalapi bearing good impression with nice effect. Reminding the sweet memories of the poet Kant, the opening stanza of the poet is very strong, picturization is also very natural, lucid and clear and above all, the brevity throughout the poem which is hardly maintained in Kalapi is surprisingly commanding making the poem one of the best khandkaavyas of our literature. )(Translation:Mine) See again in the following lines taken from his poem Nadine Sindhunu Nimantran: ગ ર ઉપરથ ઘવ આવત ત, હ ર મ ટ દય વ ભ ટવ લ વત ત ; સપ ક ર વહત વનમ ગ ત ગ ત હત, હ ર છ ય સમ નભન ઉરમ ધ રત! (Gohil, 2000:128) (You were flowing down roaring from the hill, to embrace me with heart full of pity; flowing zigzag and singing in the forest, reflecting the sky in your waters!)(translation:mine) To quote Sushila Vaghmashi from Kalapina Kaavyona Aaswad in this regard: ત મન ક વત ન બ જ મહ વન વષય છ ત. અન ણ કલ પ એ નદ ન સ નમ ણ ક વત મ ત, ણય અન ચ તન આ ણ યન સમ વય કય છ. (Vaghamashi, 2012:173) (Another important subject of his poetry is nature. In his poem titled Nadine Sindhunu Nimantran, he has combined all the three aspects of nature, love and reflection.)(translation:mine) 73

19 It would be very interesting to quote other critics of repute and see what they think about the poet on his love for nature and her elements. To quote one of the eminent critics of his times Anantray M Raval from his book Kalapi: કલ પ ન ક વત ન ય વષય છ ત, ણય અન સમક લ ન જર ત ક વત ન ય કવન વષય હત... ત મ ટ ન રસ સ દય દશ ક વઆ મ મ હ ય જ... તક ય મ ત ય ન દર શ દ ચ ત ક શલથ આલ ખ છ...ખ ડક ય મ તથ હમ ર ગ હલ વ મહ ક યમ પ દ તર ક તન ક વ ન ધપ ઉપય ગ ત મણ કય છ... આક શન વ ક ય મ તન ચ તન ઉ પન-અવલ બન પણ એમન ક વ ર ત બન વ લ છ, એ સ દય પ ત ન મ ળ જ જ ઈ શકશ. (Raval, 1954:24-25) (The main themes of the poetry of Kalapi was nature, love and God which was the theme of the contemporary poetry...there is always interest for nature in the poets...he portrays beautiful word pictures of nature in his nature poems... he has very ably used nature as background in his khandkaavyas and Hamirji Gohil epic. In his poems like Aakashne, how he has effectively used nature as stimulating power to reflection that like-minded people can very easily observe.)(translation:mine) Kalapi also describes the elements of nature to express his moods. He is interested in nature not only because he likes her very much, but also because he is leaning to express the boredom of human nature. He uses nature to describe his emotions and also his state of mind. To quote Ramnaraya V Pathak from his book Arvachin Kaavya-Sahityana Vaheno: તન દશ નમ તન સ દય આકષ ણ હ ય એ ત વ ભ વક છ પણ ત ઉપર ત અ ય ર એક હ ય છ ત મ નવ યવહ રન ક ટ ળ ન! આ બ ક વઓમ પણ છ : કલ પ કહ છ : ઘડ છ ડ દ ન ઘડમથલ ત ર જગતન, જર આ ત નરજન મહ જ ગલ મહ. 74

20 ...આ દરતમ જવ ન ન ચ એક તમ રહ વ ન ઈ છ પણ છ. (Pathak, 1962,120) (In the description of nature, it is the natural inclination for the beauty of nature but there is one more element and that is the boredom of human nature! This is also found in other poets. Kalapi says to abandon the efforts of the world and to go to a dense forest for peace... There is a desire to go to nature with a desire to live alone.)(translation:mine) It is in creating such amazing word-pictures that he resembles Wordsworth the most. Wordsworth, likewise, believes in absolute simplicity of diction. He uses very simple words to bring about striking effects into his lines. The following excerpt is taken from his Advertisement of Preface to the Lyrical Ballads. The majority of the following poems are to be considered as experiments. They were written chiefly with a view to ascertain how far the language of conversation in the middle and lower classes of society is adapted to the purposes of poetic pleasure. Readers accustomed to the gaudiness and inane phraseology of many modern writers, if they persist in reading this book to its conclusion, will perhaps frequently have to struggle with feelings of strangeness and aukwardness: they will look round for poetry, and will be induced to enquire by what species of courtesy these attempts can be permitted to assume that title. (Gutenberg.org) Similarly, the following lines are taken from one of his very famous poem Upon Westminster Bridge, wherein he sings of the beauty of the fine morning: Earth has not anything to show more fair: Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty: (Palgrave, 1928:00) Even an ordinary reader of poetry would very easily understand such simple yet powerful description of the morning as described in the above lines. Similarly, Kalapi also creates numerous word-pictures such as the one mentioned above to describe an event or an object that otherwise might miss the readers attention. The following lines taken from one of his famous poems Gram Mata aptly 75

21 justifies this view. The picture created by Kalapi is very ordinary and the ordinary readers would not even realize the artistic qualities that lie in it. But for the minute observation and vividness of details of description, the picture is simply amazing. મ ર સમય ત વ ખ તર શ લડ ન, રમત ષવલ ન બ લ હ ન કર છ ; કમલવત ગણ ન બ લન ગ લ ર ત, ર વ નજ કર ત ન ઉપર ફ રવ છ! (Gohil, 2000:50) (At such a pleasant time, the children of peasants are playing gleefully in the sugarcane field, and the sun considers the reddened cheeks of the children a lotus and fondly extends its rays on them.)(translation:mine) The above lines again depict a common countryside picture; but it is the treatment of the common countryside scene that makes it very live and interesting. The depiction of the scene is done so meticulously that it awakens in the minds of his readers similar impressions. He uses nature quite effectively and cleverly weaves her elements to present men against the setting of nature. He shows mastery in visualizing something very beautiful and uncommon in the common chores of life and shows renewing power of great devotion. The intuitive quality of his inner life is stimulated by the revival of imaginative emotions. He takes familiar reality as his object and then lauds it through the strength of a deep sensibility that very few poets of Gujarati literature has so far been able to match. The following lines are taken from one of his poems, Hriday Triputi that depicts a great picture against the backdrop of nature but here it also suggests some hidden meaning and the elements of nature are used to intensify the effect: અહ! ક વ પ મર પર મ ક રહ, 76

22 અન ક વ બ મત અધરથ સ મરન! અહ! ક વ લ લ પર ગ ભમત, અન ક વ ચ ટ કળ કળ મહ થ રસ પ ત. (Gohil, 2000:98) (Ai! How the flowers lovingly stoop over the wasp and how they kiss it smiling! Oh! How the wasp moves from one flower to another flower humming, and how beautifully sucks honey from each bud!)(translattion:mine) There are numerous lines that can be quoted. Here, in the above lines, Kalapi has very skilfully woven the objects of nature to symbolize a state of affairs, human sufferings and human sentiments. But, this is just to illustrate that nature and the objects of nature attain immense power to appeal to our sentiments and our feelings. His depictions are in fact intensely drawn pictures of feelings, of human relationships which are set against the background of nature. There is hardly any natural phenomenon that he has not glorified in his poetry. Kalapi was deeply aware of nature s influence upon man and therefore Nature and various objects of Nature find numerous ways of expression and he quite successfully describes various moods of nature in his poetry. One can even find from its brief and serious pictures of nature a kind of teaching of all the indefinable lessons and all the living creatures convey a sensibility which is very honest and yet sound enough to always guide someone. Thus, his poems place us in a state of discerning ease as far as the simple incidents of rural life are concerned. For Wordsworth, the vision of nature is that there is a presence.. a motion and a spirit that impels all thinking things, all objects of all thoughts and rolls through all things. (Long, 1998:90) 77

23 Wordsworth being a strong follower of the Church of England, his philosophy and strong faith in God is very clearly reflected in the poem Written in Early Spring. The poem clearly portrays his deep rooted faith that Mother Nature has a separate existence along with a spiritual existence apart from God. Therefore he firmly believed that he can easily establish a strong spiritual connection with both God and Nature according to the Christian belief. Kalapi also feels absolute bliss in the company of nature. But his philosophy is based upon the Indian thought of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam as he tells in one of his poems, વ આ મ સ ત meaning the world is the dwelling place of the saints. He finds some unified presence of the almighty in the elements of nature. To quote Prasad Brahmabhatt from his book Kalapijivankatha: તક વત કલ પ ન ક ય ટન એક મ ટ ખ ડ ર ક છ. ત મ ટ ન રસ સ દય દશ ક વઆ મ મ હ ય એ વ ભ વક છ... ત ક ય મ ત ય ન દર શ દ ચ કલ પ ક શલથ આલ ખ છ...કલ પ જય ર જય ર તસ દય ન રખ છ ય ર ત મન તનમન સ થઇ જય છ, ક રણ ક ત મ ત મન વ -એઈ દશ ન થ ય છ... વ મ ય પ લ એકત ન સ થ મ નવ વનન સ વ દત સધ ય ત જ વ રચન સ થ સ થ ય એમ ક વ મ ન છ. (Brahmabhatt, 1999:191) (Nature poems occupy a large share of the poetry of Kalapi. It is natural that beauty-seeking poets are interested in nature and her elements... Kalapi very ably portrays beautiful word-pictures of natural scenes and beauty of nature in his poems. Whenever the poet comes across natural beauty he feels very delighted, because he finds unity of the world in her...he believes that if mankind lives in harmony with nature, then only the existence of the world is justified.)(translation:mine) The poetry of Kalapi reflects the true philosophy of Nature and poetry. On the other hand, the diction that Wordsworth employs in the poem is that of the ordinary 78

24 speech and therefore quite simple and still powerful enough to convey his vision very clearly. Besides, Wordsworth has also made use of the words and phrases of the ordinary speech in the poem which also rhymes very well with the words and expressions of common and day to day use which also please both the eyes and the ears equally well. The lines are from the poem Written in Early Spring. To her fair work did Nature link The human soul that through me ran; And much it grieved my heart to think What man has made of man......if this belief from heaven be sent, If such be Nature s holy plan, Have I not reason to lament What man has made of man? (Palgrave, 1928:282) For Kalapi, nature is a source of peace, harmony and eternal joy. While Wordsworth portrays nature with zest, Kalapi describes nature sensuously and imaginatively in the poems of his earlier attempts. Nature has a very serene and soothing effect upon him. He is always in search of the Supreme Power and finds great solace in the presence of Nature. He weaves various incidents and descriptions of nature to bring about the idea of transience and perpetuity; ecstasy and grief all the way through his poems. He has even used all the material objects of nature to mean much more than its mere literary meaning; in his later poems, he even tries to find some mystical, divine communion with the supreme power. All throughout his poems, he is explicitly searching for some special connection between mankind and nature. For him, nature is a unique power that dwells in all men. He finds Nature to be God Himself and pours his heart out in the following lines which are taken from one of his more popular poems, Manushya ane Kudarat. 79

25 ચદ મ ન સ દરત ન ત ત, અર સ ત ન આ જન દયન લ ગણ વળ, ત ટલ લ કશ જન થ તન ત વન, મ ય ન સ થ દરત બન થત નક. (Gohil, 2000:197) (Nature, the sign of the Supreme Spirit is the replica of God and feelings of the people are its mirror; creation of the anti-world is an echo of human state, Nature has also been composed along with man.)(translation:mine) In the same poem the poet also describes his concept of universality portrayed in almost every poem he writes. To quote Prasad Brahmabhatt from his book Kalapina Ketlak Kaavyo: ત મન ઉ ર ધ ન ક વત મ ડહ ળ ય લ ન ર થર થય લ જણ ય છ, ક પન ન વ ગ મળ લ જ ઈ શક ય છ. એ ક વત મ ઊ મ ડ ણ, આઘ ત- ય ઘ ત ન તર ગલ લ, તસ દય ન રમણ ય લ લ અન ચ તન વશ ષ કલ મકત થ ઉપ ય છ...આ ક યમ કલ પ ન ત અન મ ય વનન તગ ત સ બ ધન વચ રણ ય ત થઇ છ. તન સ સ વ -ત વ એકબ ન ખ આપ છ અન ખમ ભ ગ દ ર બન છ જય ર મ ણસ અ ય મ ણસ ત રત દ શ ત કર છ. (Brahmabhatt, 2003:14-15) (In his later poems, the disturbed, murky water seems to have settled down and imagination is heightened. There is artistic portrayal of depth of emotions, fanciful depiction of action-reaction and beautiful word pictures of nature with deep reflection. In the above poem, the poet presents his thoughts on the correlation between nature and human life. The elements of nature give happiness to each other and acts as partners in sorrow whereas man shows cruelty to other man.(translation:mine) Wordsworth is basically a contemplative poet, whereas Kalapi is a poet of emotions who expresses such emotions through a sudden gush of feelings in a casual way. He describes concentrated moods which the world rouses in an attentive mind, but does not care to write them watchfully. Unlike Wordsworth, writing of poetry had a 80

26 cathartic effect upon him. It was a means of discharging his fetid emotions. The following lines are taken from his poem Ek Gha which very aptly describes his sensitivity for the pain inflicted upon the others. With a rare delicacy of feeling, the poet sings of the pains that he felt after doing the deed: ત પ ખ ન ઉપર પથર ફ કત ફ ક દ ધ, ટ ત ન અરરર! પડ ફ ળ હ ય મહ ત! ર ર! લ ય દલ પર અન સ ધ ઈ ત ન ચ આ ત ઉપરથ પ ખ ઢ લ થત મ. (Gohil, 2000:68) [(I) threw a stone on that bird and oh! The pain in my heart! Oh! It struck on the heart, breath chocked, the wings became heavier and the bird fell down.](translation:mine) This simple description of a sudden feeling of an incident has been described in a quite melodiously way. The last letters in both the stanzas rhyme very well. The poem describes the cruelty of men towards the objects of Nature and points to the treatment that they inflict upon them which fill their life with love and beauty. The present stanza depicts a very simple yet insightful description of the poet s emotions on the occasion of throwing a stone to the birds that fly away spotting the poet around out of fear. The poet s heart bleeds to see such incident and laments that people are so much indifferent today to Nature and that they are even turning selfish and cruel to her. Being highly sensitive, he becomes emotional by such an ordinary incident. Similarly, Kalapi also uses nature as the background to convey certain situations and express hidden emotions through various symbols. To quote Prasad Brahmabhatt from his book titled Kalapijivankatha: 81

27 કલ પ પ ત ન ક વત મ મ નવ ભ વ મ ટ તન પ મક તર ક ઔ ચ ય ણ વન ય ગ કર છ. બ વ-મ ગલ, દય ટ, હમ ર ગ હલ વ ક ય મ તન પ તર ક ક વ સ થ ક વ નય ગ થય છ એન અ ય સ કરત આ બ બત પ ટ થશ. (Brahmabhatt, 1999:192) (Kalapi very ably and considerately portrays the elements of nature in his poems to depict human nature and emotions. It would become evident on studying the poems like Bilva-Mangal, Hridaytriputi, Hamirji Gohil and the others that how efficiently and quite successfully he has used nature as an appropriate background in the poems.)(translation:mine) He even very cleverly uses nature as a suggestion to express feelings and emotions symbolically through various signs and symbols. Nadine Sindhunu Nimantran is one of the finest examples where he uses the elements of nature to imply his own hidden feelings. The poem is symbolic representation of the poet himself and his beloved Shobhana who he imagines is angry with the poet. He tries to persuade her and accept him once again through various symbols all through the poem. To quote from the poem: દ ઠ મ ર અવર નદ થ હ તન ખ લત? ઊઠ મ ર ચડત પડત મમ ત અર? દ ઠ છ પ દલ પર પડ સવ સ ઈ ત? દ ક ય દઈ મન ર તમ સમ ઈ?(Gohil, 2000:128) (Have you seen me playing in the river? Have you been witness to my ups and downs in love? Have you observed all the impressions being wiped away fromthe heart? What have you seen that you deserted me and disappeared in sand?)(translation:mine) All the symbols are employed to express the love of the poet. All the signs imply the poet s deep love for his beloved. What is signified by the sea and the river is very well understood for the poet s heart as well. Thus, the poet also uses the elements of 82

28 nature to convey hidden meaning and situations at various stages of his life. To quote Sushila Vaghmashi from the book titled Kalapina Kaavyona Aaswad: અહ ક વએ ચ ર પ તમ વ થ વ પ ળવ ર છ મ ણ પ તઓ એ સ મ ટ નદ ન મમ આવ લ ઓટન ક રણ છ ; ત તમ પ તમ સ નદ ન કર છ ક આમ થ ત જ ક મન ય ર તમ ત થઇ ગઈ?...ભરત -ઓટ, છ પ પડવ - સવ એ મ સ ન જ લ પડ નથ પર મ ય દયન પણ એટ જ લ પ ડ શક ય છ. (Vaghamashi, 2012: ) (The poet has maintained the interrogative format in all the four lines where the first three lines are the causes for the ebb in love by the sea for the river; whereas the last line is a question that why did she desert him and disappeared into sand?...tide-ebb, impressions-wipe out do not merely apply to the sea only, it is also implied to the human heart as well.)(translation:mine) It is interesting to note the following observation in this regard: To Kalapi, poem was like a sigh. It would flow out as it is born; and hence there was no scope for art.. Kalapi had not allowed his sentiments to settle down and then write and rewrite them. The aim was not to create; but to release the sentiments. (Cf. Dave, 1969:00) To quote Sundaram from his book titled Arvachin Kavita in this regard: ત ણ ક યકળ ન ઠ કઠ ક અ ય સ કય છ. કળ વશ ત ન મ ડ ગ કત છ, સ ત તથ ક વત ત પ રશ લન શ ય છ, ત ન ભ ષ ભ ડ ળ પણ સ છ અન ભ વન ઓન તથ લ ગણ ઓન ત ત પ ત જ ખ ણ છ ; પર ત ન મ કલ સ ય મત એ પરમ સ મ ય થ છ...એમ છત એન ન રય સ ન સ પ વહ ત ક વત મ પણ કલ ન લ ક ર પશ નથ જ આ ય એમ નથ. (Sundaram, 2004:169) (He has studied poetics well, is conscious of the poetic art, his reading of English and Sanskrit is good, his vocabulary is also rich and is himself the source of emotions and feelings; but he has in less degree the disciplined ability of art.. this does not mean that there are no fluently flowing artistic touches in his poetry.) (Translation:Mine) 83

29 The basic philosophy that drives both of these poets to write poetry is simply poles apart. Portrayal of Nature in Wordsworth is done with extreme sensitivity and honesty of depiction. He finds a wealth of beauty in life and the objects of nature around him, and experiences a clear reflection of the living, divine spirit, the living God in all the natural objects that he portrays and adds an element of mysticism in his poetry. Kalapi, on the other hands, writes straight from his heart. There is always a very strong flow of intense feelings that transports the readers into the artistically created imaginative world of the poet. His intense lyricism is simply unparallel in Gujarati lyrical poetry. Wordsworth on the other hand, very often lacks this very flow of emotions. In order to express everything in very simple language, he many a times misses the excitement and intensity of the moment. Wordsworth is..only occasionally inspired..and is seldom graceful. (Long, 2003:382) For Wordsworth, nature stands supreme to all the other things; he is a great worshipper of nature who also holds very deep faith in her like a religion. He is a true devotee or high-priest of nature. He holds a distinct view for nature with a deeprooted belief that there is an all encompassing divine power in all the substance of Nature. This spiritual Pantheism is of the highest order which was echoed in the Tintern Abbey and in The Prelude Book II. His love of Nature is very genuine and very sincere than that of any other English poets. Nature always enjoys a central status in almost all of his poems she is never treated in just a careless or momentary manner as by some of the other poets before him. He had complete faith with a great philosophy that the company of nature offers the greatest joy to the human heart which is a very unique experience. He had a firm faith in the healing power of nature 84

30 and believed that it cured the distressed hearts and provided solace and peace. It was he who spiritualized nature by deifying her. For him, she was not only a mother and a guardian but also a great moral teacher as well. It was his conviction that the company of Nature has a great exalting influence upon men and that there exists between man and Nature a collective consciousness and a very pious communion. Those who grow up within the orbit of Nature are accomplished in every respect to other humans. Wordsworth is far less concerned with the splendid manifestations than with the spiritual associations of the same that he finds underlying those manifestations. The primrose and the daffodil are but merely the vehicles of Nature to communicate her special messages for Wordsworth. Similarly, a sunrise is not an exhibition of colour for him but it is an illustration of spiritual benediction. He constantly strove for a perfect balance between his poetic expression of Nature and his spiritual enchantment and astuteness. These beauteous forms Through a long absence, have not been to me As is a landscape to a blind man's eye: But oft, in lonely rooms, and 'mid the din Of towns and cities, I have owed to them In hours of weariness, sensations! sweet, Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart; And passing even into my purer mind, With tranquil restoration (gutrenberg.org) Wordsworth always prefers to write in the simplest possible words; Kalapi likes to use figurative language but he is equally at ease with the use of simple language of the people as well. He even employs various figures of speech to intensify the poetic effect. He uses the objects of nature to effectively convey his finer sentiments and tender feelings more effectively. 85