On the Banks of the Ganga

On the Banks of the Ganga

 

In the cradle of time, where Ganga flows,

Among the chants, where saffron glows,

He stands serene, with soul so still,

A seeker moved by ancient will.

 

Draped on symbols of sacred lore,

‘Mahadev’ echoes from shirt to shore, 

With Rudra’s fire in his steady gaze,

He walks the ghats through smoky haze.

 

Crowds may gather, and temples rise,

But peace is found in inner skies.

With yellow stole and folded hands,

He honors truth where dharma stands.

 

O flame of faith in modern form,

You hold the silence in life’s storm.

In Kashi’s heart, your spirit gleams, 

A witness to the river’s dreams.

 

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The poem is written on my son’s recent visit to Kashi

 

mastanappa puletipalli

 

Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood— William Wordsworth (Summary)

Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood— William Wordsworth (Summary)

 

The poet laments the loss of his childhood perception— when everything in nature felt divine and filled with a heavenly glow. He no longer sees the world with that same innocent wonder. 

 

Nature’s beauty is still present— rainbows, roses, moonlight— but the poet feels a sense of loss. The “glory” that once filled the earth has faded away for him.

 

Despite the joy and energy in nature— birds singing, lambs leaping— he feels personal sorrow. Yet he tries to overcome it, regaining strength by immersing himself in the season’s cheer. 

 

The poet joins in the celebration of life. Nature and children are in harmony and joy. Still, he notices signs— like a lone tree and a single field— that remind him of something lost, the visionary dream of youth.

 

Wordsworth introduces his philosophical idea: birth is not the beginning. The soul comes from a divine origin and enters the world still trailing “clouds of glory” from heaven. However, as the child grows, that divine memory fades. 

 

Nature tries to distract man from his divine origin with earthly pleasures and responsibilities. She plays the role of mother, helping man forget the spiritual splendour from which he comes. 

 

The poet observes a child deeply absorbed in imaginative play. The child, though small, mirror the whole course of human life, imitating adult experiences such as weddings and funerals. 

 

The child is described as a mystic and sees—  still close to divine truth. He questions why such a blessed being is so eager top grow up, which will only burden him with the hardships of adult life. 

 

Despite the fading glory, the poet finds joy in the remnants of childhood intuition. The “obstinate questionings” and deep feelings from youth remain a spiritual guide and source of profound insight. 

 

He expresses faith in the immortality of the soul. Though we may feel far from heaven, our souls can still sense its presence and recall eternal truths, especially in moments of claim of childhood play.

 

Even through the poet has lost the vivid splendour of youth, he finds strength in what remains: empathy, philosophical thought, and spiritual insights gained through suffering and experience. 

 

The poet reaffirms his love for nature, even if his perception has changed. Maturity brings deeper reflections on life, mortality, and gratitude. Even a simple flower stirs emotions that are profound and ineffable.

 

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 mastanappa puletipalli

 

 

Laodamia - William Wordsworth (Summary)

Laodamia - William Wordsworth (Summary)

The poem Laodamia is a narrative poem by William Wordsworth that dramatizes the tragic reunion between Laodamia and her husband, Protesilaus, who had died in the Trojan War. The poem explores themes of love, sacrifice, grief, divine will, and the spiritual limits of human attachment.

 

The poem opens with Laodamia in a state of desperate mourning. She prays and offers sacrifice before dawn, begging the gods to restore her husband Protesilaus from the underworld. Her prayer is passionate and heartfelt, revealing her deep attachment and refusal to accept his death. 

 

Moved by her grief and fidelity, the gods temporarily grant her request. Hermas (Mercury), the divine messenger, leads Protesilaus back from the underworld to spend three hours with her. His return is ghostly yet tangible, and Laodamia is overwhelmed with joy and awe. 

 

Laodamia attempts to embrace her husband but he is insubstantial— a spirit rather than a man. Despite this, he comforts her, assuring her that his return is not a trick or punishment but a reward for devotion. He recounts how he willingly fulfilled the prophecy that the first Greek to land on Troy’s shore would die, doing so as an act of valour and leadership.

 

Protesilaus shares spiritual wisdom from the afterlife, describing it as serene, pure, and elevated beyond earthly pleasures. He expresses that while he loved her dearly, their apart allowed him to reflect and find peace in his sacrifice and the higher purpose he served. He urges Ladomia to temper her emotions and rise above earthly passion, encouraging her to seek a more divine, transcendent form of love. 

 

Despite his counsel, Laodamia’s emotions remain turbulent. She insists that love should be strong enough to defy even death, citing myths like that of Alcestis and Æson to argue that love can conquer mortality, when she proclaims she will follow him even in deat, Protesilaus sternly interrupts her, emphasizing the importance of spiritual growth and rational control over emotion.   

 

As Protesilaus’s time on earth ends, Hermas returns to escort him back to the underworld Laodamia, unable to accept his departure, collapses and dies. However, rather than being granted eternal union with him, she is punished by the gods for her failure to elevate her soul and accept divine law. Her spirit is condemned to wander, apart from the blessed dead. 

 

The poem ends with a mythic image: a cluster of trees growing from Protesilaus’s tomb near the Hellespont, whenever they grow tall enough to see Troy, they wither— a symbol of the persistent sorrow and futility tied to Laodamia’s ungoverned passion. 

 

William Wordsworth uses elevated, classical diction and mythological references to frame this tragedy as both personal and universal. The poem has a solemn, moralising tone, underscoring the romantic ideal of sublimating passion into spiritual insight. 

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mastanappa puletipalli