'Flight' poem by Jayanta Mahapatra

 'Flight' poem by Jayanta Mahapatra

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

In the first reading itself the reader gets who is the second person in the poem, obviously the society. But the visualizations in the poem are not easy to decipher. As I read his other poems, I found this at least had some leads to understand what the figurative expressions in the poem hinted at and what actually the metaphors represented. The poetic beauty in the poem is the unique imagination of a white wing’s brightness mixed with refracting with the fog, bringing out a rainbow. We have always found only when Sun rays refract with rains the rainbow is born. This visualization and creative imagination are very commendable. Mahapatra is certainly a very gifted poet.

My understanding of the inner meaning of the poem is like this: Humanity has always found a genuine seer or a great social reformer or vibrant selfless leader rising and showing the masses the right path, the inclusive and just path, the path that questions blind faith and shuns intolerance. But while humanity celebrates them and applauds along with the right thinking people (a minority) ironically ensures that their teachings and pleads for reasoning and equality are buried along with them under their stones. The majority’s complacence to the inhuman ways of mankind is like a fog that cannot allow the light of wisdom to illuminate and wake up the masses. So the light of wisdom is diluted or distorted colorfully, and instead of choosing the thought process the genuine great men of the upheld, a colorful way of celebrating their birthdays and anniversary of their death is chosen by the masses. In this backdrop I see the white wing (pl note not a single feather), the fog, the rainbow and the guilt of the mankind. Here Mahapatra actually points to a nonexistent guilt purposefully. Because he feels after burying the great men along with their ideals, the mankind looks hopeful somewhat, than moving on without any regret. A very poetic visualization.