An Introduction is a poem written by Famous Indian woman poet, Kamala Das. The Poem was originally published in 1965 in a collection of Summer in Calcutta. An Introduction is very popular and well know poem which comes in many colleges syllabus.It is confessional poem which means poet confessed her deep feelings throughout the poem.
An Introduction By Kamala Das
Summary of An Introduction By Kamala Das
The story of poem begins with poet who says I don’t know much about politics but I do know the names of those politicians who are in power. I can repeat their names in days, weeks and months. And these names will begins with Nehru.
In the next sentence, poet writes about herself, she says I’m a brown skin color Indian woman born in Malabar. I can speak in three languages, can write in two languages and dream in one.
I know three languages to talk but I write my poems and my works in two languages only. I see dream in one language only. The poet says many people said to her to not to write in English language as it is not your mother tongue. You shouldn’t write in English language as you are not born in English country. The poet replies Why not leave me alone ? She says it to those who criticize her works.
Why not you leave me alone ? I will speak in any language I love. Why not you let me to speak in language which i love. I like to speak in English so why don’t you let me speak in English. Why are stopping me to write in English. The language I speak its become mine, its distortions, its queerness, everything are mine alone.
The poet says the language in which I write is half English and half Indian. I have not choose pure English as I write in a combination of both languages. Which is quite funny and interesting. But I do know one thing that my language is honest.
My language is just like me which is very honest and true. My language only tells what I think and feel. My language gives voice to what I feel and believe. This language is as beautiful to me as cawing to crows and roaring to lions.
This language is a human speech which tells about speech of the mind. Whatever is going on my mind, I can can easily tell you through this language. My mind is very sharp which can see and listen everything. I can feel everything through my mind and I can tell these things to you with my language.
My language not like deaf or blind language, neither like trees in storm or like monsoon clouds, nor like drop of rains. The poet has compared her language to powerful elements like storm, rain and stormy clouds. The author’s language is like these powerful elements but you can learn the meaning of her language.
The poet says I was kid girl but later they told me that I grew, I became tall, my limbs swelled, and one or two places sprouted hair. Here poet is trying to tell us that people judge our age on the basis of our body growth but they does not think about our mind. If it is developed or not.
When I asked for love, they send a 16 years old boy in bedroom and closes the door. That boy did not beat her but her woman body felt beating and pain. Our world does not understand true love they only understand physical attraction. I was feeling pity for me as what kind of changes are happening in my life because of aging.
I wore a man’s shirt, cut my hair short and tries to become like a man to ignored my womanliness. I want to live like a man. They said, dress in Saree, be a woman, be embroider, be cook and be a quarreler with servants. The woman’s only work to be a a wife and focus on household work. Just be fit in this society. Make yourself belong in woman’s group.Do not sit in house walls like a boy or peep in through our lace-draped windows.
It is better to be a traditional woman than a man, or be Kamala, or be Madhavikutty. It is time for you to choose a name and a role to become something in life. Don’t play pretending games like you are very sad and now you will live like a man to ignore womanliness.
Don’t cry embarrassingly in love when you get cheated in love. The writer says I met a man and fell in love with him, I’m not gonna call him by any name as he is like other men who desire a woman, just as I’m like every woman who looks for love. The poet here is saying that man just wants woman and on the other side we woman look for true love. We don’t need man, we need their love.
In him, a hungry desire like a river, and In me, the oceans tireless waiting. I have same quality like ocean who waits for river just like me who is waiting for true love. Who are you I ask each and everyone, while everyone gives same answer, it is I.