Cosmic Beckonings in the Poetry of Manas Bakshi

Abstract

Poetry is essentially, a synthesis of different facets of life, with one of its professed goals being to improve life and make the world more sustainable, egalitarian, and just for all. As a representative figure, the poet transcends space, time, gender, culture and other barriers to convey the imperatives and truths of the human condition. While the poet churns his/her experiences through myriad states of consciousness, he/she helps us see the beauty, the sublimity, the glory as well as the horrible realities of the times. It is in poetry that we see the confluence of all point of views, all disciplines and all physical/ spiritual explorations. It is precisely for this reason that Matthew Arnold and other literary figures have accorded poetry a higher status than religion (Arnold, 161). Poetry embodies the universal flux, the inescapable external reality to which we arehopelessly tied to, but it also helps sever the bondages and discover the true essence of the self. According to Indian knowledge tradition, the best poetry is that which permits us to fathom the limitless, eternal, and indestructible.Most importantly, poetry extends a ray of hope to readers who can envision possibilities in an otherwise tragic, factionalized, strife-ridden world through her dialogic processes. It cures, consoles, rejuvenates, and resuscitates through its redeeming features. Poetry, as the “breath and finer spirit of all knowledge” (Wordsworth), enhances one's sensitivity, refines one's taste, and brings man, the world, and nature closer together. While Millennials and Zen Zs strive for social and environmental change, Mr. Manas Bakshi's contemplative poetry with its cosmic awareness and cohesivenessdispels the darkness of ignorance, materialism, and differences that pervades the world landscape.The poet's vision, his insights facilitate readers in connecting with both external and internal reality, consequently, assisting in their spiritual growth.