One, who does not know how to portray pain and sadness in art of words, can’t be a true poet. The under review anthology of poems by Nawa Raj Subba entitled Bich Batoma Byunjhera, however, shows that he has this art. Similarly, one who fails to be brief and enlarged according to the demand of theme, also can’t be a poet. Composer Subba has succeeded to demonstrate this quality also. So, he is definitely a poet, whose contribution to the genre of the Nepali poetry is noticeably strengthening in recent times.
With this brief background note, now let’s enter into the publication. The book of Bich Batoma Byujhera contains seventy-seven poems written by Subba within one year of 2063 BS. Being a tumultuous and convulsive year, the year 2063 remained a meaningful time in terms of creativity to the poet. In this changed context, Subba’s poetical mind and thought prepare for changes and call of time is a thing of paramount importance to him. No doubt, Nepal of tomorrow is a vocal Nepal. Every body speaks, dominance vanishes and inclusiveness comes to the fore and right and duty will remain intact with all the citizens in new times. Subba as a poet has tried his best to present this call of time in words through the medium of this book.
His own words explain it better:
I’m a tribal
Came here like a falling star
And, now I crossed the river Mechi
Just understand
A garden’s flower fell!
These are a few lines of Subba’s poem entitled “Satar’s Declaration”. Satar, a poor and declining community in Terai, speaks to attract the country’s attention towards him in newer times of Nepal in this poem.
Truly speaking, Subba’s knack of expression is poetical. His messages are clear and in embellished form. He explains in short, but when theme demands more he takes some length. However, the core point to him is to be sweet. Subba’s anthology of poems entitled Bich Batoma Byunjhera is full of these features.
One thing, which needs to be understood while reading Subba’s poetry, is trying to grasp the meaning of enigmatic nature of life. Some explanation about title poem of the book better clarify this. In fact, life is full of hurdles and man’s struggle to overcome them has to be taken as the beauty of life. No matter how much time it takes and no matter how much energy it consumes, such efforts should not be demeaned. Subba’s reference for symbolic illusions and delusions of life in the form of snake in Bich Batoma Byunjhera provides a power to move ahead amidst troubles and woes.
Sometimes the poet has become philosophical as rightly observed by noted critic Dr Govinda Raj Bhattarai. This inclination seems to be meaningful also because when many other subjects fail to find substantial analysis, the philosophy comes before life to show the light at the end the tunnel. Finding the unique talent of creativity in the poet, senior litterateur Bala Krishna Pokhrel too suggests Subba to keep up more poetical broodings in the days to
The cover page created by Times Creation is nice-looking and meaningful. In essence, the book is interesting.
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The Rising Nepal “Friday Supplement” from website http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/detail.php?article_id=12897&cat_id=10, visited on 24 January 2009.
