Soft Storm by Abhi Subedi (Poem) (NEB XII)

Soft Storm by Abhi Subedi

Abhi Subedi’s Biography

Abhi Subedi, a prolific poet, playwright, and critic who was born in 1945, has remained one of the leading figures in Nepalese literature. Subedi was born in the village of Sabla in the Terhathum area. He has written several plays, including Fire in the Monastery in 2003 and Dreams of Peach Blossoms in 2001. Around 40 years ago, Subedi began teaching at Tribhuvan University's Central Department of English. He is the author of several poetry volumes, including Manas (1974), Chasing Dreams: Kathmandu Odyssey (1996), and Shabdara Chot (1997). In this poem, Soft Storm, Subedi, with a hint of compassion, considers the absurdities of turbulent times; as a result, he aims to portray the persona's journey through the winding streets and lights at night in Kathmandu; it projects people's feelings of insignificance to the dire situations and trials of the Nepali social cohesion, such as patriarchal practices, a loud and obnoxious atmosphere, and turmoil. >

Glossary

1. tumult (n.): violent and noisy commotion or disturbance of a crowd or mob; uproar
2. eerie (adj.): so mysterious, strange, or unexpected as to send a chill up the spine
3. crocuses (n.): a type of flowering plant in the iris family
4. seamless (adj.): moving from one thing to another easily and without any interruptions or problems
5. melee (n.): confusion, turmoil, jumble
6. protruded (adj.): stuck out from or through something
7. Leela (n.): a divine play
8. loitered (v.): moved slowly around or stand in a public place without an obvious reason
9. pensively (adv.): done thoughtfully, often with sadness
10. spools (n.): a cylindrical device that has a rim or ridge at each end and an axial hole for a pin or spindle and on which material (such as thread, wire, or tape) is wound
11. minuscule (adj.): very small

Figures of Speech used in the poem

Anaphora: Anaphora is the repetition of the same words at the beginning of a line. The speaker repeats “I became soft” in the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th stanzas.

Simile: The comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid by using as/like. In the poem “sky grew like crocuses over stones” “as the softness like a gale” and “I want to melt like a rainbow”

Metaphor: This poem has the use of metaphor which is the strongest comparison “without using like and as…as.” The speaker employs metaphor: soft storm, seamless city, silent pages, forlorn shirts, celebrations for the gods, etc etc.

Imagery: It is a description using any of the five senses of sight, sound, taste, touch, or smell. He employs the imagery of “I became soft storm” and “playing hide and seek”

Oxymoron: soft storm, Devine debris.

Learn more about Elements of Poetry.

Synopsis

The poem "Soft Storm" by Nepali poet Abhi Subedi is composed in free verse and features a beautiful fusion of natural and societal depictions. It expresses the situational kindness of people, and the persona is depicted as a rebel in a society against societal deception who positions himself as helpful in the worst circumstances. The poem indirectly criticizes and satirizes Nepali society's patriarchy, and revolt to have changed many timeframes since 2007 BS in depth.

The persona in the first stanza utilizes words like tumult and eerie to convey an environmental and political disturbance in Nepalese cohesion before switching to a more positive state with the phrase "sky grew like crocuses," which alludes to the blossoming of Iris floral family plants over stones. These plants grow to a height of five inches, and that is all there is to the story of how Nepalese people engaged in bringing democracy while facing the most severe battles with the Ranas and the king while also overseeing the system of elections held every five years. When the moon is about to set, he speaks on posters about various social events, politics, and other topics. Some people interpret it to mean a city with a laid-back and comfortable atmosphere since it alludes to a gathering of individuals talking about social activities while they are in front of one another. The speaker depicts street children in Thamel who beg for food and shelter in the second stanza, but also crooked politicians who are only interested in cronyism and don't give a damn interest about their underprivileged constituents and orphans. To gain a better understanding, the poet could be saying that, while humans and animals had some access to food during Rana's reign, there are now hungry children. Alternatively, the persona could be informing us about the autocratic system and the connection between the Kesharmahal mansion and the lives of street children. Because these negative consequences would not be happening right now if they had invested in Kesharmahal's economy to build the infrastructure for development. Because of the widespread social issues within the country, these future pillars are in jeopardy and live in deplorable conditions. When he gets home from a chaotic location where people are dancing crazily and holding ceremonies and parties in hotels with skyscrapers, he thinks back to earlier times when people could truly enjoy their independence.

In the third stanza, he softens himself and imagines himself as a depressed and lonely child who sobs and searches for his mother while wearing a transistor Radio around his neck. The youngster is terrified. It is because his mother has died that he may become involved in and die for the cause of solidarity, fraternity, equity, equality, and freedom. As a result, the boy seeks information from the public whenever possible. A man is brutally beaten in front of his family for no apparent reason. During the age of movement, it is a symbol of police brutality or impunity. Because of these illegal actions, the speaker revolts against the system.

In the fourth stanza, the speaker paints a picture of a man who has blood on his shirt and bruises on his lips but who is unable to speak because his lips are sealed. Because of the political and socioeconomic turmoil brought on by politicians who spread false information during election season to create a new Nepal, it appears that they are playing hide-and-seek. The speaker expresses his displeasure in the fifth verse for not paying attention to the words and for not waiting for the storm to play out. Leela

The speaker uses mature iris flowering plants growing over stone, storms moving through public spaces, and the sun shining with a rainbow's worth of hues to express his happiness to the inhabitants in the sixth verse. Other metaphors, like the soft storm, silent pages, forlorn shirts, celebrations of the gods, etc., are in disarray because they are controlled by the troubling rulers of the country. Therefore, people grew up in democracy with difficulty, much like how flowers grow over stones, yet it caused a commotion in the poet. Further, we are in the transitional phase of exercising Democracy to Ganatantra until now.

In the seventh stanza, he gives many reasons for his soft heart, including priceless objects, modern men's selfishness and apathy, criminal behavior, troubled and spoiled mother earth as a result of human misbehavior, and the dreadful lives of other vulnerable species. In the final verse, the speaker expresses his desire for everyone in his country to live in freedom under a beautiful sky. He also enjoys dancing without regard for societal norms to the soothing sounds of birds singing and peaceful storms. As a result, by juxtaposing divine trash with our needs, the poet creates an oxymoron.