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.
