Rhymes that Rebel – On Poetry, Resistance and Rebellion
Megha Kajale
SY BSc
Batch of 2022-25
Estimated reading time – 10 min
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
What is poetry, if not a shimmering mirror reflecting the intricacies of human motivations? They are verses that bind people, weaving together complex emotions, elusive thoughts, and long-lost desires. Mere words on paper, with a sprinkle of literary devices, have the power to inspire, uplift, and unite.
It will be quite fair to say that my experience with poetry is minimal. But having dabbled in writing poetry here and there, I wish to believe that I have at least some sense of understanding about it. A poem is an expression of freedom. It is a space where language can be experimented with, and explored linguistically. Language is in its unrestricted form, with no rigid rules or conventions. The art of poetry is inherently rebellious. It transcends the rules of language and speech, venturing into unchartered waters of expression – where words become weapons and epiphanies slowly light the way.
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Across cultures and throughout history, poetry has aided social change and resistance. In India, poetry rallying against the oppressive colonial practices of the British was an important catalyst in shaping public opinions and mobilizing communities. Indonesian activists used poetry as a means of social reform, denouncing the oppressive regime of the Dutch. Queer poets came together after the Stonewall riots, challenging societal norms and advocating for change. Whether it be the Civil Rights movement in the United States, the struggle for peace and security in the Israel-Palestine conflict, or the global movement by the youth to combat climate change, poetry makes people care. It moves people. It amplifies voices and inspires action.
Here arises the question though. Is all poetry political? Or perhaps, the real question is, can poetry ever be apolitical? Politics is about power, influence, and distribution of resources within a society. It is bound to permeate every aspect of human life, including art. To say that it would not apply to poetry would be unfair. Poetry does not have to be loud about change and revolution to be political. Even seemingly apolitical poetry implicitly questions social norms and power dynamics. The fact that poetry exists in a socio-political context, written by people with their own perspective of the world and who participate in a functioning society, shows that poetry cannot be apolitical. Poetry (or any art to be fair) can reinforce, subvert, or challenge ideologies and present different perspectives, making it political.
Speeches, protests or the written word, poetry adds a dramatic flair. It demands attention. It fosters thinking. Political rallies see a lot of use of Poetry. Poetry excites and inspires. Poetry incites and fuels passion. Passion aside, ever listened to the Budget? Several Finance Ministers incorporated poetry in their long-winded speeches. Need to take a dig at the opposition? Poetry becomes a weapon for revealing the truth. Need to boast about the progress? Poetry depicts triumph and celebrates life.
When protests take place in solidarity with a cause, poets pen down the zeitgeist of the fight. They articulate the collective anger and frustration of the people. In 2019, Jantar Mantar saw a protest against the release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case. The protest saw the recitation of poetry from different poets, one of them being the revolutionary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Fighting for action against climate change, young activists write poems to inspire action and spread awareness. They use poetry to point out the uncomfortable harsh reality.
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Maya Angelou wrote with unflinching honesty in her poem ‘Still I Rise,’ ‘You may write me down in history/ With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt/But still, like dust, I’ll rise.’ Journalist, poet, and activist at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement, Angelou’s poems and writings attacking racism and condemning white supremacy are still ring through the African American community today. When Langston Hughes wrote ‘They’ll see how beautiful I am/And be ashamed— I, too, am America.’ in his poem ‘I, too’, he wrote about the frustrations of his community being excluded in his own country. In the war-torn state of Palestine and fraught with identity politics Mahmoud Darwish pens his hardships and the pain of his people. He writes, ‘To our land,/and it is the one surrounded with torn hills, /the ambush of a new past.’
Chilean Nobel Prize winner in Literature Pablo Neruda described the horrific scenes of a war in ‘I’m Explaining a Few Things,’ ‘Come and see the blood in the streets,/ come and see/the blood in the streets,/come and see the blood/in the streets!
Poetry is romantic. It is loving and caring. It is about passion and enchantment, and desire and devotion. It is about being a truer, freer version of yourself. When Sarojini Naidu said ‘The feud of old faiths and the blood of old battles sever thy people and mine’ she talked about love and the societal constraints of caste and religion (Indian Love Song). When Kamala Das said ‘Stand nude before the glass with him/ So that he sees himself the stronger one’ she described love, sexuality, and loneliness in an unequal patriarchal society (The Looking Glass). When Meena Kandasamy wrote ‘Can My/ Untouchable Atman /And Your/ Brahmin Atman /Ever Be/One?’ she left the question unanswered, a nod to the fact that untouchability is practiced to this day (Advaita : The Ultimate Question). When Sahitya Akademi Winner Naseem Shafaie penned Is it right to laugh?/ Is weeping forbidden?/ Was a crime committed?/ Is punishment due?/ What might they not inscribe/ On my fateline, when or where?/ I could never understand,/Never comprehend.’ she spoke for the women in the Kashmir Valley. She spoke on their devastation and their desperation, huddled in the beautiful valleys of Kashmir (I could not understand). When Chand wrote ‘Queer is me realising I can be everything and nothing/ that I don’t have to choose’ and ‘Amma, Queer is me /I am Queer, Amma.’ he talked about accepting his identity in a cis-heteronormative world. The deeply personal lines end with acceptance, disallowing the society to change their identity (What is Queer?).
(If you wish to know more about poets from the recent time this was a good starting point for me)
All of these beautiful verses depict a dark reality. They talk about different issues with a common hunger to see change. Poetry aids as a force for resistance and rebellion. It wakes us from our complacency. Poetry is a tool to express, and a call to unite their communities. They navigate the complexities of identity and hardships and become a voice for the marginalised. Their words dare to imagine a world where justice and equality prevail. Poetry becomes more than some words on a page. It becomes a catalyst for change and inspires to fight for a better tomorrow.
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
The idea of this topic came to me as I re-encountered the words of Rabindranath Tagore on my Instagram feed. ‘Where the Mind is without Fear’ is a poem that talks about hope and vision for India as a nation while she was under the imperial rule of the British. It talks about a yearning for liberation and freedom, both of thought and expression. To be a country free of dogma and prejudice where truth prevails and knowledge is free – accessible to all. A country where the mind can explore, create, and question without hindrance.
Rabindranath Tagore’s vision of India was crafted more than a century previously and unfortunately, it still finds relevance in the political and social atmosphere today. 100 years later, his verses make us ask the same questions. Are we free? Is each individual treated with dignity and respect? Does truth prevail? Is education accessible for all? These are verses that prod and pinch, galvanizing action.
Tagore’s words written in 1901 present hope. He resists, yes, but there is a gentleness about his rebellion. From his verses, he makes people dream. In the echo of his verses, rebellion finds its voice to create a world free of fear and ignorance, aspiring for truth, freedom and unyielding hope.
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.