Thinking Activity: I.A. Richards: Verbal Analysis of poem or song or flim song lyric or hymn or devotional song.  

This Blog is response of  thinking Activity given by Professor Dr. dilip Barad sir, Here i discuss about Verbal Analysis of poem or song or flim song or devotional songs. and also my view in  Indian poetics  is based on 7 days session by Professor vinod Joshi.

   

I.A.Richards, born in 1893, is one of the greatest critics of the modern age, and has influenced a number of critics on both sides of the Atlantic. He and T.S.Eliot are pioneers in the fields of New Criticism, though they differ from each other in certain important respects. Richards is a unique figure in English literary criticism because of the originality of his ideas. Moreover, like Coleridge, Richards was also interested in philosophy. His works in literary criticism helped to lay the practical foundations and methodology of New Criticism. 

His work

• The Meaning of Meaning – 1923
• The Principles of Literary Criticism – 1924
•  The Practical Criticism – 1929. 

For kinds of Meaning

He believed that poet writes to 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. This four kinds meaning is given below.

• Sense 
• Feeling 
• Tone 
• Intention 

 To him, language of poetry is purely emotive, in its original primitive state. This language affects feelings.In his methodology, a lot of importance is given to the “words”. 

In Gujarati there is three kind of meaning

•   અભિધા: Direct Meaning. 

• વ્યંજના: There is direct meaning but it's not usable.

• લક્ષણા: There is no direct meaning

Four types of misunderstanding:

 1. Misunderstanding of the sense of poetry: Careless, intuitive reading (rhyme or irregular syntax)

2. Over-literal reading – prosaic reading

3. Defective scholarship 

 4. Difference in meaning of words in poetry and prose 

So let's analyse some of poem or flim song on the basis of the I A Richard theory of figurative language and Indian poetic. 

Poem Analysis: 

Lyrics Title: Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh

Movie: 3 Idiots

Singers: Shaan, Shantanu Moitra

Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire

Music: Shantanu Moitra

Music Company: T-Series. 

बहती हवा सा था वो

उड़ती पतंग सा था वो

कहाँ गया.. उसे ढूँढो 

बहती हवा सा था वो

उड़ती पतंग सा था वो

कहाँ गया.. उसे ढूँढो

हम को तो राहें थी चलती

वो खुद अपनी राह बनता,

गिरता संभालता

मस्ती में चलता था वो

हमको कल की फिकर सताती,

वो बस आज का जश्न मनाता,

हर लम्हें को खुल के जीता था वो

कहाँ से आया था वो..

छू के हमारे दिल को 

कहाँ गया.. उसे ढूँढो....

सुलगती धुप में छाओं के जैसा,

रेगिस्तान में गाँव के जैसा,

मन के घाव पे मरहम जैसा था वो

हम सहमें से रहते कूएं में,

वो नदिया में गोते लगता,

उलटी धरा चीर के तैरता था वो

बादल आवारा था वो..

यार हमारा था वो.. 

 कहाँ गया.. उसे ढूँढो...

हम को तो राहें थी चलती

वो खुद अपनी राह बनता,

गिरता संभालता

मस्ती में चलता था वो

हमको कल की फिकर सताती,

वो बस आज का जश्न मनाता,

हर लम्हें को खुल के जीता था वो

कहाँ से आया था वो..

छू के हमारे दिल को 

कहाँ गया.. उसे ढूँढो....

Scientific Reading - Misunderstanding of poetry  

When we do over literal reading, one may find it problematic to understand this poem because of the metaphors and similes it uses. For example song time and again refers to Hero as like moving air, flying kite, village in desert etc. One may question that how can a real person be like all this things ?

But this is overlitetal reading, scientific reading. But in literature, one has to understand the importance of metaphorical language. It is the metaphorical language through which we have to read this poem. This is the core ides discussed by I.A.Richard in the present article.this line is example of લક્ષણા. લક્ષણા means There is no direct meaning. Here, first  line  बेहती हवा सा था वो। उडती पतंग सा वो। those line say a direct meaning of  the words. 

Indian poetics:

અભિધા: Direct Meaning. 

हमको कल की फिकर सताती,

वो बस आज का जश्न मनाता,

हर लम्हें को खुल के जीता था वो 

This line say a direct meaning of abhidha  we all are worried about future life but the poet say that life is enjoy in present time.  So this is example of abhidha because this lines gives direct meaning of words. 

વ્યંજના: There is direct meaning but it's not usable.   

सुलगती धुप में छाओं के जैसा,

रेगिस्तान में गाँव के जैसा,

मन के घाव पे मरहम जैसा था वो

हम सहमें से रहते कूएं में,

वो नदिया में गोते लगता,

उलटी धरा चीर के तैरता था वो 

This line say a direct meaning of the words and also this all are the line problematic because सुलगती धुप में छाओं के‌ जैसा, रेगिस्तान में गांव के जैसा। How that's things possible because सुलगती धुप it's means hot weather and sun shining so that time छाओं means cold one time both weather not come together. 

લક્ષણા: There is no direct meaning. 

बहती हवा सा था वो

उड़ती पतंग सा था वो 

बहती हवा सा था वो, This lines say a indirect meaning because here poet use this word in metaphors it's means poet use not a direct meaning but indirect. and same thing use also next line. Because  बहती हवा it's means moving air, उड़ती पतंग it's means flying like kite in sky so person not as a part of naturel things and this all are not anyway possible. It is a best example of લક્ષણા. 

This all things are suggeste that how we all readers change poet thought and his real meaning . And that's why this all misunderstanding are happening to understand this song and his meaning. And this way Indian poetics also help us. And this way Indian poetics also help us to understand I. A. Richards Verbal Analysis.