A VOICE OF THE VOICELESS
Humanism has got an important and essential position in modern poetry. We can hardly find a poet who does not pay attention to humanism in his subject. Whether one is religious or secular, political or escapist, progressive or regressive, conservative or radical, traditional or modernist, whatever may be his ideology, he never neglects humanism.
The plight of the downtrodden, sorrows of the have-nots, sufferings of the platform-dwellers etc., became the content of the poets who upheld humanism in their verses.
E.S.Muthusami is a poet note-worthy for his progressive views. His poems are of traditional form and revolutionary content. He considered Bharatidasan as his mentor and had published many volumes of poems before his sad demise.
The monsoon every year brings floods and destroys the huts of the poor. Thousands and thousands of poor people loose their ‘cages’ the bare minimum living places affordable by them and come to streets. Politicians never care for finding a permanent solution for redressing their grievances.
E.S.Muthusami, in his poem titled “Huts in floods” describes the pitiable state of the hut-dwellers who have lost their shelter by the merciless floods in the rainy season.
Came down darkness like wolf on
Fold to the earth uproar,
Like milk to many a day hungry stomach
It rained downpour.
Flowered there on roads and rivulets
With sound jingling,
Entered into the huts, processions of
Streams mingling!
Floods ran into huts as Indra
Sneaked into Ahalya’s hut,
As birds bathed perched motionless
While every way shut,
Worried and drenched dwellers
To speak no words
Carried they rolled with mats
Their head loads!
Flood in huts definitely
A deluge it means!
What harm did the poor do to
The mighty rains!
Wanted no philanthropist to relieve
Their distress untold!
For born are they with every right
To rule the world!
The sorrows of the have-nots are told in powerful language. Every poet has the duty to voice the grievances of the voiceless.
E.S.Muthusami had done this duty through this poem. Here there is no demand to any institution whether governmental or non-governmental. There is no appeal to any political party or any leaders. The plight of the poor is documented in an impressive way and poems like this which have got the potentiality to motivate the reader will definitely help mould a welfare society.
