Introduction
The poem “I would like to be a dot in a Painting by Miro” is written by Moniza Alvi. Moniza Alvi has popularity in the circle of poetry in English in Pakistani literature. Her famous works include The Presents from My Aunt in Pakistan, At the Time of Partition, Mermaid, The Sari, How the World Split in Two, and How the Sky Got a Hole in It.
The
poem on the surface deals with acknowledgment but an in-depth study of the poem
recalls it to be dealing with subjects such as identity, individuality,
self-acceptance, and optimism.
Stanza wise summary
The poetess starts this poem by telling her to wish that she wants to be a dot in the painting of Miro. Joan Miró was a Spanish painter known for his distinctive style. He combined abstract art with Surrealist fantasy.
Stanza 1:
I
would like to be a dot in a painting by Miro.
Barely
distinguishable from other dots,
it’s
true, but quite uniquely placed.
And
from my dark centre
The narrator in the first stanza points out that how she does not want to stand out and be distinguishable from others. She just wants to be acknowledged because of her “dark center”.
Stanza 2:
I’d survey the beauty of the linescape
and wonder-would it be worthwhile
to roll myself towards the lemon stripe,
In the second stanza, the narrator describes the beauty of the lines in the painting. She wonders would it be worth it to travel towards those lemon stripes (those other lines) or to remain static in her current position.
Stanza 3:
centrally poised, and push my curves
against its edge, to get myself
a little extra attention?
In the third stanza, the narrator again questions herself. She wonders that should she change herself to get attention from others or not. It is Inna's constant dilemma whether she should change and bend herself or should she preserve her current status.
Stanza 4:
But it’s fine where I am.
I’ll never make out what’s going on
around me, and that’s the joy of it.
In the fourth stanza, she finally concludes the above discussion and says that “it’s fine where I am”. She further explains her decision to preserve her current status by declaring that one cannot ever get to know about other's perceptions and cannot always satisfy other people. That according to the narrator is the “joy of it”.
Stanza 5:
The fact that I’m not a perfect circle
makes me more interesting in this world.
People will stare forever –
In the fifth stanza, the narrator finds beauty in imperfection and declares that how being imperfect and different is “more interesting in this world” as people will notice it forever.
Stanza 6:
even the most unemotional get excited.
So here I am, on the edge of animation,
a dream, a dance, a fantastic construction,
In the sixth stanza, the narrator explains the reason for being the center of attention. She says that being different and unique intrigues the interest of people, even the most uninterested and unemotional people develop a feeling of excitement in such people. However, the narrator does not explain the feeling to be either positive or negative. The narrator further associates certain attributes to her wishful thinking. She declares how being different is in fact a “fantastic construction”.
Stanza 7:
a child’s adventure.
And nothing in this tawny sky
can get too close, or move too far away.
In the last stanza, the poet concludes that this life is “A child’s adventure”. A person should preserve his/her individuality rather than moving too close or too far away from societal ideals.
Analysis of the Poem
Themes
Individuality: The main theme of the poem is individuality. The poetess emphasizes the notion that a person despite all should try to preserve his/her own individuality rather than conforming to societal norms. She insists to be a non-conformist. She explains the reason why a person should be a non-conformist as being different and unique not only arouses people’s interest but also preserves one’s own identity.
Self- Acceptance: Another major theme of this poem is self-acceptance. The poetess emphasizes the perseverance of individual identity. She, in the whole poem, presents this notion that a person should not change himself/ herself because of others as one can never satisfy others and conform to their thinking. The “joy of it (life)” according to the poetess is being able to accept oneself as he/she is rather than changing or curving themselves.
Optimism: The poetess throughout the poem teaches optimism. She encourages the readers to be optimistic in life and even love the flaws of one’s personality as these flaws make a person different and unique from others. She contemplates the robotic life of modern society and emphasizes individuality and self-acceptance.
Literary Devices
Metaphor: The poetess uses the metaphor of “dot” to present one’s individuality and personality.
Imagery: The poetess incorporates different imageries from the style of Miro’s paintings. For instance, “Lemon stripes” is a reference to the yellow lines which are an important constituent of Miro’s paintings. Similarly, the “tawny sky” is also imagery predominant as a background in Miro’s paintings. He often uses the tawny color as the background of most of his pictures. The use of “dots” and “landscape” is the most important constituent of his paintings as he incorporates abstract art with Surrealist fantasy.
Alliteration: The poetess has also used alliteration in the poem. For instance, in the third stanza, the line “wonder would it be worthwhile” depicts the use of the sound “w” and in the fifth stanza the use of the sound “m” “makes me more”.
Stylistic Analysis
The poets use the pronouns such as “I”, “me” and “my”.
The poem is a lyrical poem with no significant rhyme scheme and consistency in meter except the lines in each stanza.
The poem is written with the use of simple diction and a significant rhyme throughout the poem with a conversational tone, which one of the most significant fractures of modernist work.
Conclusion
In conclusion, one may say that the poem “I would like to be a dot in a Painting by Miro”, is an excellent poem presenting the themes of individuality, self-acceptance, and optimism written in a conversational tone. This poem can be called a modernist poem based on its style and form.
