The Voice and the Mountain is a poem written by Indian novelist, Mamang Dai. The main theme of the poem is love for the nature and political tension. The poetess has described nature in this poem in such way that we can see that nature is part of her life.
The Voice of the Mountain By Mamang Dai Summary
Summary of The Voice of the Mountain By Mamang Dai
When we born in mountain and lives in mountain with family and villagers than mountains become a part of our life. When we describe mountain it feels like we are describing ourselves and our culture.
The story of poem begins with poet who says as we all know that mountains are very high in heights, they can see easily the river and the lights of ferry boat at night.
The Mountains knows towns, it knows estuary mouths and mountain also knows the bank of rivers. Mountains are so old that they can shows the different chapters of the world. Mountain claim to know many things about the world.
The writer says next day a young man came from village who cannot speak but he bring a fish from the land of river to give it as a gift to mountains. It is a culture and ritual for tribal people to give gifts to mountain.
Mountains are like old man who are breathing and they have lived many lives. Mountains voice are like sea waves and mountain peaks. Mountains are like a living oracle who tells about the story of strangers. Mountains are calling themselves desert and the rain. They are like that wild bird who goes to sit in the west. It means mountains are representing different forms of life to us.
Mountain recreates the past and knows all the forms of mountain life. They knows the journey of mountains life from 1000 of years. Mountains knows about those rocks which shine in sunlight. Mountains knows about the clouds and sudden rains.
Mountains knows everything about cloud and calls it uncertain pulse because they sits on the heart of mountain. Clouds can rain down anytime but only by the wish of Mountains.
Mountains knows it very clearly that universe doesn’t give us anything but it shows everything in such a way as everything is permanent. Mountains also knows about the political tension due to which there is a lack of peace.
The writer says I’m the person who died and the person who lost and she is the woman who is lost in translation. The poet is identifying herself with all the violence, uncertainty and negativity that are happening. Mountains takes air to the valley, and sunlight goes from Mountains to upon trees.
The air which comes from Mountains goes to narrow valley. Memories are important aspect on this poem as the memories are poet’s homeland where is full peace filled with tribal culture. The Voice of Mountains is poem about the people who still follow old tradition even in materialistic world.
ABOUT AUTHOR : Mamang Dai is an Indian poet novelist and generalist who was born in 23 February 1957. The poet was awarded with Sahitya Akademi Award in 2017 for her work, The Black Hill. Her famous work includes “The Sky Queen”, “Stupid Cuvid”, “Mountain harvest”, and the river poems.