I.A. Richards: Figurative language Other Poems and Film Lyrics

Topic: I.A. Richards:

Figurative language

            Other Poems and Film Lyrics

Name: Baraiya Saryu D.

Subject: Literary Theory & Criticism-2

              (Paper-VII)

Roll no: 27

Study: MA

Year: Semester – II

Guided By: Dr. D. Baradsir

Submitted To: Department of English

University: MKBU

Introduction:

       Ivor Armstrong Richards was a well known critic and rhetorician. He is one of those modern critics of modern era who have exercised considerable influence on both side of the Atlantic. He is well known for his theory of new criticism and even we can call it pioneer of the New Criticism. T. S. Eliot also gave his contribution in this theory. But here I am also drawing reader’s attention towards a fact that very sharply they differ from each other in some certain and particular points. But at his point I think I. A. Richards may be right because many other new critics like, John Crown Ransom, Kenneth Bruke, R. P. Blackmur, William Empson, Cleanth Brooks, Robert Penn Warren differ with him but then even repeatedly acknowledgement to him, in their theories and practice. Our other critic, like Coleridge, who was wide read and learned, I. A. Richards was also a man of wide read and learning. But Coleridge has limitation that he was only man of literature. Then I. A. Richards has no such limitations. He was not only man of literature but he was also man of philosophy, psychology, aesthetics, the fine arts, and the broad principles of the various sciences. He has used all his learning for compounding of an astonishingly innovative and fresh, original poetics. Poetics means a theory of poetry and with all his scholarship, I. A. Richards developed a new poetics.

Richards’ Life and Work:

       

        I.A. Richards was born in 1893. He was done his schooling in Cambridge in 1912. Because of his study and education he was appointed in Cambridge as a professor of English  Literature. He done fabulous job as teacher and even as a critic, too. So we can say that it was beginning of a long and renowned career as critic and teacher both. He taught in Cambridge and Harvard both. So that experience of that two benchmarks collages in his life influenced him very much and that was clearly reflected in his literary works and criticism in both the countries. His first work was written in collaboration with C. K. Ogdon. That work was published in 1922. After in next year, in 1923 he published another work. It is also in collaboration with the same write, C. K. Ogdon and it was named as, ‘The Meaning of Meaning’. His most famous work is ‘The Principles of Literary Criticism’ and it was published in 1924. Most of the critics of English literature say about it that Richards puts his best of best in this work, and which was at once hailed as a high original work likely to give an entirely new direction to critical history. After it he wrote ‘The Practical Criticism’ in 1929. This work presents him as an unrivalled advocate and practitioner of practical criticism. This work contains test of the new theories propounded by him, and also simplify and illuminates his theories. His some other works are like:

v Science and Poetry

v Coleridge on Imagination

v Mencius of the Mind

v The Philosophy of Rhetoric

v The Speculative Instruments

        Richards was path shower of figurative language and practical criticism. He said about it that author and title should be removed from any literary work while studying it. So it is making real sense of that literary work or takes a reader in any other direction from writer’s point of view. He clearly said that a reader should focus only on language of literary work nothing else. So his theory is known as Practical criticism and it can be done with the help of language only. He gives three important objectives about The Practical Criticism:

v To Introduce a new kind of documentation:

With this theory of criticism a person can relate any old work or any work of literature with his or her contemporary time, place and situation. A reader has no burden of past or identity of an author with him. So every work can get real and right judgment with the help of this theory and Figurative Language. With this theory a reader can get total different interpretation and though he does not know about author then he or she was not ban with any prejudices about author in his or her mind and because of it he or she can introduce a new text of literature from any literary work.

v   To provide new technique:

This theory is for those readers who wants or wish to find something new and innovative from literary work and what they actually feel about poetry and really that poetry is good or bad as per their point of view.

v  To prepare the way for educational methods:

This is something new and innovative in the field of literature and it is scope of development of thinking, studying and developing discrimination and it gives new way of understanding any work of literature from what we use to hear, read and understand because of prejudices.

    

     Richards constructs this theory on the base of like or dislike of reader and he uses two approaches for this theory.

v Pragmatic: Basically pragmatic means to deal with cause but Richards uses it in different way. He concedes it as knowledge.

v Empirical: This theory basically follows practicality. So this approach is based on practical observation and experiments. It is not based on theoretical things but practicality is base of this theory and approach.

  

His approaches gave new path to literary criticism. He believes that this theory in near to reality because it is with proves on the base of language which is in front of reader. It is better than impressionistic and intuitive criticism. It is more factual and scientific than any other criticism. In this criticism hi gives importance to words only. He believes that:

“Poet writes communicate, and language is the means of that communication. Language is made of words, and hence a study of words is all important if we are to understand the meaning of a work of art. Words carry four kinds of meaning: Sense, Feelings, Tone and Intention.”

He believes that language of poem is purely emotive and writer uses this type of language to generate feelings among readers. But with it he also tries to convey that a reader must avoid intuitive and over-literal reading of literary work. Words of literary work have their oven emotive feelings, meanings, sense, tone and intentions and writer uses those emotions very successfully and vigorously.          

          But with this he also said that rhyme and metre is also important in poetry because meaning of word, rhyme and metre can never be separated; they form together a single system. They are purely related with each other. Therefore, a prose-paraphrase or an over-literal reading can never convey the total meaning of a poem.  

v Source of Misunderstanding in poetry:

      This is the main part of figurative language which was discussed by I. A. Richards that poetry is the biggest source of misunderstanding and most of the time people use to misunderstand poetry. Because they can never reach to the intention of an author and so they interpret literary work as per their understanding. As everyone knows that every literary work has a loop hole in it which can become a cause of work’s deconstruction. But that loop hole also becomes rezone of misunderstanding of work, too. If person don’t know about author’s background, history and intention about poem then there are sent percent chances of misunderstanding in poetry. It can be possible that what a person understand from a poem that was never can be purpose of poet. But main point is close reading of text. Near study of text must be needed and language of poetry always helps reader to interpret itself. Let us see some examples:

विद्रोह

आज घर में घुसा
तो वहां अजब दृश्य था
सुनिये- मेरे बिस्तर ने कहा-
यह रहा मेरा इस्तीफ़ा
मैं अपने कपास के भीतर
वापस जाना चाहता हूं

उधर कुर्सी और मेज़ का
एक संयुक्त मोर्चा था
दोनों तड़पकर बोले-
जी- अब बहुत हो चुका
आपको सहते-सहते
हमें बेतरह याद आ रहे हैं
हमारे पेड़
और उनके भीतर का वह
ज़िंदा द्रव
जिसकी हत्या कर दी है
आपने

उधर आलमारी में बंद
किताबें चिल्ला रही थीं
खोल दो-हमें खोल दो
हम जाना चाहती हैं अपने
बांस के जंगल
और मिलना चाहती हैं
अपने बिच्छुओं के डंक
और सांपों के चुंबन से

पर सबसे अधिक नाराज़ थी
वह शॉल
जिसे अभी कुछ दिन पहले कुल्लू से ख़रीद लाया था
बोली- साहब!
आप तो बड़े साहब निकले
मेरा दुम्बा भेड़ा मुझे कब से
पुकार रहा है
और आप हैं कि अपनी देह
की क़ैद में
लपेटे हुए हैं मुझे

उधर टी.वी. और फोन का
बुरा हाल था
ज़ोर-ज़ोर से कुछ कह रहे थे
वे
पर उनकी भाषा
मेरी समझ से परे थी
-कि तभी
नल से टपकता पानी तड़पा-
अब तो हद हो गई साहब!
अगर सुन सकें तो सुन
लीजिए
इन बूंदों की आवाज़-
कि अब हम
यानी आपके सारे के सारे
क़ैदी
आदमी की जेल से
मुक्त होना चाहते हैं
अब जा कहां रहे हैं

मेरा दरवाज़ा कड़का
जब मैं बाहर निकल रहा था.

          This is a Hindi poem written by Kedar Nath Sinh. A person should have to done close reading of this text. Title of this poem is so interested, ‘Vidroh’. From title a person can assume that something is not easy and someone is apposed someone in this text. So first person singular is the narrator if this poem and something is wrong going with narrator it is very first interpretation from this title. Or it can also be said that narrator himself apposed someone or something in this poem so now with close reading of this text a person can give his or her own interpretations about it. When a person enters in his home his bed gives it resignation to him because it wants to back with its cotton. Table and chair are also on strike cause of same reason. They want to go back with their wood. They also said that woods and trees are killed by human. Books are also wants to run away from shelf and cupboard because they want to meet their insect friends. Sholl is also very frustrated because it wants to go back to its crowd of ship. It feels like restricted with human. Even water is so irritated with narrator and so in fear narrator tries to run away from his house and then door closed and said to him that now you cannot go outside. A person has to stay as prisoner because door does not want to open for him.

          This is totally impossible thing that all these dead things can speak in such a language with humans in this tone but writer uses it as symbol. In figures of speech we can say that writer uses personification but it is sent percent perfect poem for now days. Human thinks that he is the only owner of earth and so for his own usages and needs he tries to hold and control nature in his hand. Nature gives us lot things but in return what we give to it?? That is the main theme and question of this poem. Its languages suggest it. And it also shows fear for human’s future also. In last line door was angry with human and refused to open. It shows that when the nature will get mad then humans cannot do anything with it. Earthquakes, Tsunamis can be conceder as anger of nature. Nature wants to be free from prison of human. Nature feels like prisoner with a human or human made it prisoner. We have no care for nature and it is the main and central idea of this poem. But this interpretation can be a person’s personal interpretation. There is no surety about this interpretation that it is right or not.  If we will not respect nature the once nature will done something very wrong it can be hidden agenda of author in this poetry.

Sadda Haq

Tum logon ki, iss duniya mein
Har kadam pe, insaan galat
Main sahi samaj ke jo bhi kahoon
Tum kehte ho galat, main galat hoon phir kaun sahi (phir kaun sahi)
Marzi se jeene ki bhi main
Kya tum sabko arzi doon
Matlab ki tum sabka mujhpe
Mujhse bhi zyada haq hai
Saadda haq, aithe rakh

Saadda haq, aithe rakh
Na na na ..
Saadda haq, aithe rakh

Hey inn gadaaron mein ya udhaaron mein
Tum mere jeenay ki aadat ka kyun gott rahe dum
Besaleeqa main, uss gali ka main
Na jis mein haya, na jis mein sharam
Mann bole ke ras mein jeenay ka harjaana duniya dushman
Sab begaana inhe aag lagaana
Mann bole mann bole, mann se jeena ya marr jaana

Saadda haq, aithe rakh
Na na na ..

O eco-friendly, nature ke rakshak, main bhi hoon nature
Rivaazon se, samaajhon se kyon
Tu kaate mujhe, kyun baante mujhse iss tarah
Kyun sach ka sabak sikhaaye, jab sach sunn bhi na paaye
Sach koi bole toh tu niyam kanoon bataaye
Tera darr, tera pyaar, teri waah, tu hi rakh (rakh saali)
Saadda haq, aithe rakh
Aithe aithe rakh
Saadda haq, aithe rakh

          This is a song from movie ‘Rockstar’. If we try to study it as another poem then we can also find some precious symbols in it. At starting narrator asks to society that why always a real and alive person is wrong all the time and who had power is the only winner of the society.He asks question to the society that his life and he wants to live it as per his understanding, following, likes and dislikes and etc…. but then even society restricted him to done this thing so now he has to take permission to the society to live his life. It is very painful for him that we can understand from words of poetry. Then narrator, who narrates this poem, wants freedom in his life. So after close reading of this poem I can say that a person wants freedom in his life. It means he talks about social rules, regulation and restrictions. Still our society is rigid and because of it many people have to suffer lot. So as per my interpretations based on words as per figurative language. Narrator says that now everyone knows that nature is in danger because of pollution and population but a human being itself also creation of God. As we know we can never create nature and it is always created by God. So we also believe that human is creation of God so we are also a part of nature. So we try to save nature in form of air, water, trees and earth but had we ever care for real living and existing human being?? A human is also part of nature but no one cares about this nature named human. Narrator uses word ‘eco-friendly’ as satire for society. After it he said first society taught me to speak truth but truth is bitter most of the time and so now society has no strength to hear that bitter truth and so now if any one tries to speak truth then society gives him a long list of rules, regulation and restrictions. So even he said against society that he does not want society’s praise for him but as it is he also does not want restrictions of society in his life and on his life.       

The Professor

Remember me? I am Professor Sheth.
Once I taught you geography. Now
I am retired, though my health is good. 
My wife died some years back.
By God's grace, all my children
Are well settled in life.
One is Sales Manager,
One is Bank Manager,
Both have cars.
Other also doing well, though not so well.
Every family must have black sheep.
Sarala and Tarala are married,
Their husbands are very nice boys.
You won't believe but I have eleven grandchildren.
How many issues you have? Three? 
That is good. These are days of family planning.
I am not against. We have to change with times.
Whole world is changing. In India also
We are keeping up. Our progress is progressing.
Old values are going, new values are coming.
Everything is happening with leaps and bounds.
I am going out rarely, now and then
Only, this is price of old age
But my health is O.K. Usual aches and pains.
No diabetes, no blood pressure, no heart attack.
This is because of sound habits in youth.
How is your health keeping? 
Nicely? I am happy for that.
This year I am sixty-nine
and hope to score a century.
You were so thin, like stick,
Now you are man of weight and consequence.
That is good joke.
If you are coming again this side by chance,
Visit please my humble residence also.
I am living just on opposite house's backside.

          This seems very house hold type of poem but if a person can read it with emotions then a person can realize pain of father in this poem. He has four children. Four of them are settled in their own life and so now they have no time for their alone father because narrator’s wife id dead and he has not a single person to shear his feelings and so he request to reader to meet him for some time, to meet but where?? Behind his son’s house, where he lives in a small cottage. It means he does not stay with his son. Pain of old age and reason of old age home is shown in this poem by poet. He also talks about change in life and country also.   

Conclusion:

          In very simple words and language we can describe figurative language as close study of words and only text without any background, history, writer, but just as an individual text and interpret in our own understanding. It can lead a reader to misunderstanding too but then even it can never be wrong because not a single thing, single interpretation in poetry can be wrong because every poetry has numbers of interpretations because a work of art has numbers of interpretations. Interpretations are based on mind, mentality, background, brought up, and society of reader. It may be leads reader to misreading of poetry but then even can be originality of literary work without any prejudices. It is not justly based on assumptions but it s based on words, emotions, intention and scientific methods. 

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