Overview:
Maki Kureishi is one
of the most eminent and distinguished poets. She was born in Calcutta and was
an English tutor at the University of Karachi for 30 years. Her precarious and
prudent poetry had been contended not only in Pakistan but in the entire universe.
Her each glazing word entrenched by the threads of verses displayed a diverse
meaning and a distinct essence. The way she raised awareness of trivial social
predicaments is remarkable. Her wisdom and intuition were so unique, that she
came up with such brilliant inklings to put forward the dilemmas of
society.
Her poetry not only quenches the poetic yearning but also gratifies political and jovial souls.
Introduction:
The poem “kittens”
written by Maki is an extended poem written in free verse. In kitten, Kureishi
contemplates the true image of our society. The way we regale the vulnerable
and the way we tarnish the basic liberties of man in the street are portrayed
in the poem. The poem is a lamentation on the demeanor of man. It’s mourning on
the attitude of the most exemplary creation of Earth, humans.
The poet characterizes
the destitute and unarmed people of the society by depicting the helpless
kittens.
Summary:
The poet tries to uplift the tyrannized individuals, who are always strangled by the up roaring gusts of violence and turmoil. She effectively sheds light on one of the most critical realities of society by the manifestation of stray kittens. At the beginning of the poem, the poet inscribes about her cat, which has delivered a fraction of kittens. Though it wasn’t even anticipated by the cat itself, the occurrence of so many kittens has made her reckless. Despite being a mother, she scampers, abandoning the impoverished kitties behind. The poet continues that such a substantial number of kittens couldn’t even be embraced by her friends.
In the next stanza,
the author demonstrates her apprehensions about the kittens. Her relatives
suggest forsaking kitties and leaving them in a bazaar, where they may surpass
their preordain fortunes. But the poet is a benevolent individual, who doesn’t
want to relinquish them, keeping in mind that they might be annihilated.
Somebody may trudge on them, granulating the poor bodies. And even if they
resist this catastrophe, they might not survive the cadaverous dogs or may
famish to death.
In the successive stanza, the poet reckons the Europeans the process to drench them in warm water. She specifies the phrase “warm water” because it might alleviate the trauma, underprivileged souls have to confront while saturating. She further elaborates on the mechanism to drown them by clasping them within the water for a moment.
In the subsequent phrase, the poet illustrates the ailment of the kittens after they are being perished. She sketches the spectacle of their diminutive red mouths and lifeless claws and legs. The author even elaborates on the vicious hands that drown them.
In the conclusive stanza, the poet asserts that even after this commotion, I will still be virtuous because these minor felines are visionless and they won’t perceive their murderer. And after their divergence, the water will compose itself and nobody will notice who the filthy soul has embodied in the human skeleton.
At last, the Poet elevates a question for the anthologies: which technique she should opt for? Either European or Asia? Either rescinding them into a bazaar or immersing them in warm water?
Analysis:
The poem “kitten” amazingly shapes the contemporary as well as the antique mentality of the people. The language, imagery, and dialect of the poem have the wisdom, for steering to a better tomorrow.
The consciousness of the poet contemplates “flimsy lives” as valuable and assets. She considers them a minor but supreme part of this gigantic world. The poet when citing kittens points out the youth of the country, which has been led astray because of the dearth of opportunities. The indigent schemes introduced by the recent governments produced many kittens in the form of illiterate, unoccupied, and underprivileged youth. This youth had been left alone by the governments and consequently, they indulged in drug addiction, terrorist activities, and self-obsession. The scenario would have been different if the cat would have ratified her offspring and the government would have endorsed its youth and given them requisites of life.
This also elucidates another aspect that the number of children must be proportional to the financial status of a clan, which ensures a luminous future for every child unlike the destiny of poor kittens.
