Poem Text
Under
the shade
of a willow tree
where the river
bends
in a rock-pool
prayer-beads
rise
to the surface
from the mouth
of an invisible
fish.
Summary
With numerous cultural paradigms being the derivatives of the colonial era, Pakistani poets had an uncharted demesne where they could savor the freedom to experiment with the verse, form, rhythm, and language since the English language offered many expressive resources. It is for this reason that one explicitly as well as implicitly notices the presence of a lot of English and American poets in Pakistani poetry in English. Daud Kamal is a case in point since his poetry is discernibly reminiscent of the Imagist tradition as in his poem 'Prayer-Beads':
Daud Kamal’s short poems, sometimes dark and brooding, sometimes sparkling like jewels, resemble the work of the imagists, conjuring a mood or an image in almost every line.
Kamal has a completely different style of writing
poetry. He writes beautifully in fragments. The main themes of his poems are
rural and rustic. He plays with the idea of brutal injustice of kings on common
men. His deep observation of small things reflects through his poems in a vast
manner. Kamal can also say to be a mystic poet because images of the Sufi world
can also be seen in many of his poems. In his poetry, we can see graceful
images of nature as well. He talks innocently of the great Himalayas, starry
sky, sparkling waters, and trees. As a poet, he has a deep connection with his
soul as well as the soul of the universe (which is nature). Kamal’s sensitivity
towards changing the world around him deeply affects his poetry.
His writing style is deeply influenced by the
Imagists. He follows the style of W. B. Yeats and Ezra Pound. A Girl by Ezra Pound is a bright example of this kind of poetry. In
his later life, he was deeply moved by Latin American authors. A man of
heightened sensitivities, he was not unaware of what was happening around him.
His poetry has a unique sense of history and the need for an artist. The need
to connect to the culture of the past can also be felt in his poetry. The
images of monasteries, miniature paintings, bullock carts, and antiques are
recurrent themes.
Themes
1. Reverence of Lord: Each and everything praises
the lord.
2. Pantheism: God is in every stone. This
universe is designed to serve God.
