About the author
A prolific poet, playwright, and critic, Abhi Subedi (1945) has remained one of the eminent personalities in the field of literature in Nepal. Born in Sabla village of Terhathum district, Subedi has written several plays including Dreams of Peach Blossoms (2001) and Fire in the Monastery (2003). Subedi, who taught at the Central Department of English, Tribhuvan University, for around 40 years, has poetry collections like Manas (1974) and Chasing Dreams: Kathmandu Odyssey (1996) and Shabdara Chot (1997) to his credit.
In the present poem entitled “Soft Storm,” Subedi, with a touch of compassion, contemplates the absurdities of tumultuous times.
In the present poem entitled “Soft Storm” Subedi, with a touch of compassion, contemplates the absurdities of tumultuous times.
Summary
The poem ‘Soft Storm’ is written by a popular poem Abhi Subedi. He is the most prominent personality in the academic field of Nepal. He has taught for more than 44 years in different universities and equally contributed in the field of literature by writing several poems, essays, stories and dramas in both Nepali and English languages.
This poem presents the speaker of the poem as a rebel in society. He doesn’t like the useless and cruel activities of society. This poem indirectly attacks the mal-practices of Nepali society very minutely. The poem is a bit longer than other poems of this book. It is written in free verse. It has a beautiful combination of the description between nature and society.
The poet describes the environmental disorder in Nepali society using the words tumult, eerie, stillness, sky like crocuses, stones, skidded moon, tearing roof, etc. in the first stanza. In the same way, he makes a correlation of those natural disorders with the practices of human society by using the words like politics, postures, rituals, and reasons. In the last line of the first stanza, the poet uses the term seamless city which refers to the problem less or unified city of the past. It's no more than the recall of the time when there were very few social problems in society.
In the second stanza, he gives the reference of homeless children who are crying in Thamel. They are also crying because of hunger under the bat-bearing trees of Kesharmahal. He shows the bitter reality of a developing country through the lines. It is a serious social problem of the nation that should be solved at any cost. In the same stanza, he uses the term 'unwedded gardens of history' from which he wants to refer the past unflourished incidences of the society which literally means lawless, disturbed, and chaotic situations created by social and political domination in the Nepalese society.
Similarly, in the third stanza, he talks about a forlorn child carrying a transistor radio around his neck who is wailing to find his mother. This phrase indicates the painful condition of street children. There is also a reference of a man who was beaten mercilessly for no reason. Likewise, in the poem, he presents a reference of an injured man with a blood-stained shirt crying for humanity. When these words of agony are not heard, it reflects the situation of lawlessness, which ultimately makes the speaker become rebellious against the system.
In the remaining stanzas, the speaker has also presented the disturbing courses of our society and the courses of our nature. Dominated person can’t speak because his voice is locked. It is like the game of hide and seek. The references of crocuses have grown over the stone, rain tears, sun laughter, deforested land, rhododendron blooming in winter, songs of the sad birds, etc. have shown the degradation of social values and environmental conditions. Indifferent, selfish, and lawless activities of present people have disturbed and spoilt earth and the creatures of the earth. In the final stanza, the speaker concludes it by stating the desire for freedom for him as well as other creatures of the earth. He favors the beautiful, lovely and calm sky with sweet music of soft storm.