‘The Aquarium’ is an anthology of 40 eloquently expressive poems edited and translated by Parvathi G. Aithal, the original being written by Poornima Suresh, who has published five anthologies in Kannada so far. Reading these poems makes us feel that they are very much relevant to the present-day society.
The poem ‘I Haven’t Learnt How to be a Man…’ discusses tradition standing against modern liberal thinking. The grandmother keeps advising her granddaughter not to talk loudly, not to make sound while putting her feet on the ground, be always humble and many other do’s and don’ts. The granddaughter stands obedient to her grandmother, but her heart is against it. She knows well that she is simply acting. At the end of the poem there is a punch the granddaughter says.
The poem ‘Reminiscences’ once again posts the poet’s happy and carefree childhood days against her hapless present condition. In both the above poems the refrain adds to the effect of the theme emphasizing the core message.
The titular poem ‘The Aquarium’ hints at the suffocating atmosphere in which women have to live throughout their life. The metaphor of the fish struggling inside the aquarium every moment eagerly looking for someone showing some love to them. The metaphor is very appropriately used here.
The poem ‘Groundnut Uncle’ draws our attention by the way it presents human relationships in the olden times when the poet was a small child. The groundnut seller used to move along the street not only crying his vend but also talking to children like their friend. That is why he is an ‘uncle’ to children. Children experience deep sorrow when he stops coming. The picture of the groundnut uncle is a contrast to the present day sellers who are commercial minded.
‘The Super Actress on the Stage’ speaks about the total involvement of the actress on the stage where she forgets all her difficulties in real life. But after removing her makeup and costumes, she becomes her own self as the stark reality hits her face.
The poem ‘My Toothless Grandma’ is a beautiful tribute to the poet’s grandmother who has undergone a lot of trials and tribulations throughout her life in spite of which she takes care of her grandchildren with great care and concern. She is the typical Indian grandmother.
‘The Delusion’ is a poem about the tragic condition of a Devadasi in the society. Different men look at her with lustful eyes because the convention has permitted them to use a Devadasi for quenching their desires. This inhuman attitude of the male dominated society is antagonised by the poet.
‘Beyond the Range of Audibility’ suggestively speaks about the intensity of the love-bond between the lover and the beloved, where silence is more audible than words. In order to hear each other, one has to go beyond the range of audibility.
Madhyamavathi places the present day woman caught between freedom and slavery at one and the same time. She is free to go out but not free from responsibility at home which is imposed on her by tradition. Her state is similar to that of Thrishanku of the legends.
There are a number of poems advocating the cause of the unfortunate women of this world. The ‘Monthly Period’ is one such poem. The agony experienced by a woman during her menstrual period, pregnancy, delivery and motherhood. But quite surprisingly at the end, it is compared to the process of writing a poem. ‘The Stealthy Cat’ depicts the allotropic activities of the cat very effectively. The poet describes the agile movements of the cat being present in different places at the same time. Sometimes it loves and sometimes it looks cruel. The cat is used as a metaphor here. ‘The Fly’ is a narrative poem in which the fly works as a metaphor for the inner thoughts of the narrator.
Poornima Suresh’s contribution to Kannada poetry is very significant. She has a very firm grip on the art of writing poems. She uses very appropriate figures of speeches which enhance the meaning of her lines. Her poems are simple in look, but lofty in their meanings.
Translation is a very tedious job where the translator has to delicately handle the work in the original language. It needs extraordinary talent, diligence and discretion so that the essence of the original work is kept intact. Parvathi G. Aithal has successfully carried out the job to effectively bring out the message conveyed by Poornima Suresh in her poems.
– Shreeraj Vakwady.
Shreeraj Vakwady is a writer having 6 publications to his credit. Presently he is working as a journalist & columnist in Janaprathinidhi Weekly of Kundapur, Udupi District. A multifaceted personality, he is a theatre actor, Yakshagana artist and a very good speaker too.
Title. : ‘The Aquarium’
Translator. : Dr. Parvathi G. Aithal
Original Kannada : Poornima Suresh
Publisher : Bhoomi Books, Hospet
