Alchemy of the Art of Poetry

Origin

Poetry (Poem or Song) takes its birth always in heart, never in mind. Poetry is the child of heart, as every other fine art is. Exactly like a mother who undergoes the pangs of child birth, the heart undergoes the pangs when it gives birth to a poem. These pangs are subtler than the Physical pain. The poem originates as an inexpressible experiencing of a Joy, a bliss, an ecstasy, a dance, which is transcendental and always far beyond from ordinary man’s reach. This experiencing overpowers the poet, absolutely disturbs him, and he can no longer contain its tremors of bliss and beatitude. He bursts out, and the experiencing tumults out through his heart, eyes and even through every cell of his body. In that trance, that frenzy, he lives for some moments. After a while he falls to the valley from those divine peaks of existence. Then he feels to express that inexpressible joy which happened to him. He tries hard and hard to recollect those golden moments, and tries to picturise in beautiful words. All this happens through him. He too does not know he is going to face this task of expressing. In what form it comes, how best it comes, in what word. He too waits like the reader. No poet has ever absolutely succeeded in expressing his inexpressible experiencing. But at the same time no poet ever remained without trying hard to express it. This process of poetic creation seems to be irresistible and spontaneous in existence like that of Koila, or Nightingale. This is so because this is much bigger, vaster, deeper, higher and broader than the poet himself. The poet is possessed whenever he is blessed by the unknown benediction and Grace from Beyond, his every word becomes an oracle. As and when he is out of it, he himself feels awe and wonder of his own experiencing and expression.

The Qualities of a Poem:

GRACE: The grace is the basic, fundamental and essential quality of artist’s (Poet’s) experiencing and for the expressed one. Grace (Divine) is the grace (beauty) of art. The experiencer and the experienced are one and the same. Observer and the observed are one and the same (J.K.).

BEAUTY: Beauty of one of the most significant inspiring elements in the creative process of any art. It is artist’s spontaneous irresistible response, and reverence, respect and love towards the beauty of Existence. Artist is just like a sympathetic wire in a musical instrument, which perfectly tunes with the main wires on which creator (God) plays. A noble piece of art is the sincerest endeavour of an artist to express his inexpressible experiencing of Truth, Consciousness, Bliss. (Sat-chit-Ananda).

SILENCE: Silence is the very base, substratum, source, origin find nourishment, the ground for the growth of spiritual tree, and its fullest blossom, and mellow fruitfulness. Silence is like a black board, or white paper, where only you can word or picture, or sing, or dance your experiencing. Silence is the Temple of God. Silence is the Voice of Truth. Silence speaks volumes. But you cannot speak of it even a single word. Without silence neither experiencing nor expression of art is possible. It is the rock bottom of meditation. It is the only medium of the Unknown. Just like diamonds are found at the bottom of the deep seas, the Truth of existence lies, and is available at the unfathomable depth of silence, which is within and without.

The Language Splendour and Spirit of Poetry:

Poetry is the most beautiful, most spiritual, most enchanting and bewitching language which is forged by the most loving heart of poet as the best medium of his great experiencing. That which we can express, is nothing before that which we cannot express, as what we know, is nothing before what we don’t know. There are three realms, Known, Unknown, Unknowable. Poetry is the Divine voice of silence.

THE INDEFINABLE NATURE OF POETRY: Poetry is the nectar of Higher being, word fragrance of a loving heart. The most refined speech of the most sensitive man. The transforming eloquence of inner silence. The word expressed to express the inexpressible experiencing. A bridge between the known and the unknown, the outer and inner. A boat to sail upon the unchartered sea of life. A beacon light of the other shore to guide. An alchemy which transforms lower life in to Higher one. An eagle flight from mundane to celestial worlds, the very nature of poetry is indefinable.

ITS AIMLESS GREAT CONTRIBUTION: Poet is absolutely aimless, and he is without any idea of motivation in his art of poetic creation. Even he is planless, without any craft of organisation regarding his creation. But mysteriously it comes out superbly organised, most suitable most beautiful words will be arranging themselves spontaneously in his art of poetic creation. The influence is alchemical transforming influence. It simply sets fire the passionate hearts of the people; Its contribution is greater than the planned, aimed, and motivated art, which falls down always in its ranking. The spontaneous poetic creation, or of any art is absolutely revolutionary. It sets fire in all the corners of the world, and the world would be aflame, with the spirit of the great and real revolutionary artist. If it is a philosophy it is philosophy of practical life, which is in true sense existential.

The Classical Age poets were Maharshis. They trusted One Truth regarding poet, that,
is “Non-Rishi-Kuruthe Kavyam”. One who is not a Rishi, a mystic, cannot compose a poem. Such a high reverence, and Quality were there for our ancient poetry. It was not only a poem but every line, every word, and every letter of every word of the poem has a spell, it was a mantra. It can protect and save us from all dangers, and bestow upon us the Grace of, bliss and blessings of Universal Divine consciousness.

“Unless word becomes mantra no writer is a writer, and no reader is a reader”. On the higher plane Art is for Art’s sake, let it stream out through us as spontaneously as a brook, we should not stand in between as big rock blocking its flow. This big rock of self identity, I-ness, doer consciousness, planning, aiming, motif, when all these things dissolve by seeing in himself the Divine flow of Art. The Real sublime, Divine Art manifests itself with its unique beauty, music, with its central spirit of universal love and compassion of Existence. It also speaks volumes of great reverence, gratefulness, thankfulness, towards Mother ­Existence.

Conclusion

If we learn to remain still sensitive, open minded, unprejudiced, allow the awareness to grow, the great inner explosion happens and the great art manifests out from us. Let the I-ness be dissolved, and enjoy ourselves, the bliss of am-ness. Be a witness to the all-pervading Divine presence. Don’t become anything, just Be. Great miracles happen when a deep Trust takes roots in your heart. Ultimately your very being blossoms in to a Thousand petalled Lotus of Divine splendour, beauty, music, and fragrance, which pervades all the universe, and manifests itself into greatest art and meditation.

            “The greatest musician is he who breaks his instrument and throws it away and enters into silence”
–(A Chinese Proverb)