One - Eyed Poem by Meena Kandasamy

One - Eyed by Meena Kandasamy

 the pot sees just another noisy child

the glass sees an eager and clumsy hand

the water sees a parched throat slaking thirst

but the teacher sees a girl breaking the rule

the doctor sees a case of medical emergency

the school sees a potential embarrassment

the press sees a headline and a photofeature

dhanam sees a world torn in half.

her left eye, lid open but light slapped away,

the price for a taste of that touchable water.

Meena Kandasamy

• INTRODUCTION OF MEENA KANDASAMY 🦋

Ilavenil Meena Kandasamy (born 1984) is an Indian poet, fiction writer, translator and activist from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. She is known for her works that explore themes such as caste, gender, and social justice. Kandasamy has gained recognition for her impactful writing and has been involved in various social and political causes. Some of her notable works include the poetry collection "Touch," the novel "The Gypsy Goddess," and the essay collection "The Orders Were to Rape You." Kandasamy's writing often addresses issues of oppression and discrimination, making her a prominent voice in contemporary Indian

About poem:

The poem is about Dhanam -a little girl who is thirsty and touches the pot ,drinking a glass of water from it.One-eyed ,the short poem highlights various atrocities committed against the dalit women. Meena kanasamy emphasizes the humanitarian attitude of inanimate things which human beings lack.This poem poignantly reveals the story of a chid whose eyesight was snatched for drinking water in the glass that is only meant for the upper class.

The concept of untouchability is primarily used against lower caste and lower section people. the teacher of the school considers it as an act of violating the rule whereas the media looks it as a fresh headline to public.

In this poem the learned teacher in the school slapped thr girl for breaking the rules. Meena Kandasamy tries to tell us that dalits are the worst sufferers as they do not have the political and economic power to fight against the upper class peoples superemacy.even the pot glass and water take pity upon the girl these inanimate objects feel for her and they allow themselves to quench her thirst.

Keywords: Meena Kandasamy, “One-Eyed”, Dalit, untouchable, community, inanimate. 

Poem's message:

Water is a natural resource and it never gulps but sacrifices itself to all the creatures in the world.but some human being divide water for the upper class and water for the lower class.

The children of the low castes were denied the right to drink water with the other, dhanam was slapped severely when she drank in her eyes the world seems to be partial one and it shows partiality to a particular group.

The main message of this poem is dalit are common people like other human beings and they also have thire own lives.

"I.A. Richards' work on Figurative Language emphasizes the analysis of poetic expressions and their emotional impact. Applying this approach to Meena Kandasamy's poem 'One-Eyed,' one can delve into the nuanced use of metaphors, similes, and other figurative elements to uncover the poem's underlying emotions and meanings. Richards' focus on the reader's response and the aesthetic experience aligns with exploring how Kandasamy employs language to evoke specific emotions and engage the audience on a deeper level. Analyzing the poem through Richards' lens allows for a nuanced examination of its figurative language and its impact on the overall aesthetic experience."

Conclusion:

To conclude,meena kandasamy recounts the brutal and inhuman treatment given to the little girl of the lower caste.Here in this poem the reader could see that an institution corrupts the little child.

According meena kandasamy, the school , hospital and press violate the rules,human being are born equal in dignity and rights.

Meena kandasamy voices for the invoiced especially for Dalits.

Aim of author:

The social pictures of Meena Kandasamy look ironical and depressing, but they have a message to be shared with the readers. The contrast involved has to be well understood by the readers who want to comprehend what Meena Kandasamy suggests about the relationship between art and society. Her artistic device of contrast gives real insight into the way of the Dalits healthy adjustment in Indian society at a time when other options are available to them. Time passes, things change but the fate and struggle of the untouchables and subalterns do not change.

They remain stagnant at the same point where they were before independence. The representation of the Dalits in her poem is realistic, putting aside many controversial issues. Symbols and images are used adeptly by Meena Kandasamy in her poem. She gains maturation as an artist of excellence, significance, relevance and consequence. The style of Meena Kandasamy’s writing is like that of E.E. Cummings, a familiar American poet who is known for small letters in his poems. Meena Kandasamy’s poems are characterised by both ethnocentric and minority discourse features. Naturally, her poems clearly portray the anxieties, alienation and feeling of insecurity of a modern day Dalit. She also uses different narrative techniques in her creative work.

Question arise while reading the poem 

1. Why does the pot see the child as noisy, and what might that imply about the child's behavior?

2. What significance does the glass place on the eager and clumsy hand reaching for it?

3. How does the water perceive the interaction with the parched throat, and what does it suggest about the human need for hydration?

4. Why does the teacher view the girl breaking a rule, and what might be the consequences?

5. In what context does the doctor see a case of medical emergency, and what emotions might be associated with such a situation?

6. Why does the school see the potential embarrassment, and what factors contribute to that perception?

7. How does the press interpret the situation as a headline and a photofeature, and what role does media play in shaping narratives?

8. What does Dhanam's left eye being open but light slapped away symbolize, and how does it reflect the world torn in half?

9. Why is the touchable water associated with a price, and what does that suggest about the challenges faced by Dhanam?

10. Overall, how do these various perspectives contribute to the theme or message conveyed in Meena Kandasamy's poem?