‘Distance’ – poem by Partha Banerjee under pen name Immigrant poet

 ‘Distance’ – poem by Partha Banerjee under pen name Immigrant poet

I request readers to first read the poem from the link above and then my review. Thanks.

The spark for a poem is a hazy visualization within. The process of intellection of an abstract simulacrum and blending it into a modern poem often leaves the poet discombobulated. A disagreement or discomfort or a dissent hibernates deep within the poet and surfaces fortuitously as a lead line or two. Then the poet travails with an eye for its most powerful impact on the reader. The poem ‘distance’ doesn’t reveal who is the empathetic narrator and in what way he is related to the immigrant; but subtly the inhuman conditions in which an immigrant struggles and the impediments in the path of any help reaching them have been highlighted very well. The uncertainty created by the law enforcers and makes the distance of a furlong look longer. The plight of the refugees is very pathetic and many die either due to action by brute forces or hunger or in the hands of the gangsters. The immigrants are victims of the grapples between forces beyond the control of a destitute. We find the poet has felt deeply hurt to see their sufferings from close quarters. The distance between our ideals and values and our actual clout has been brought out very well in the poem. The lament for inclusiveness is subtle but striking.