In the poem “Soft Storm,” Subedi contemplates over the absurdities of tumultuous times. The title of the poem "Soft storm" is a metaphor that is used to describe the speaker's emotions and feelings. It suggests that the speaker's feelings are intense, but not violent or destructive. The word "soft" is used in contrast to words like "storm" and "gale" which generally refer to disorder and violence. Now, read the following article which covers summary, question answer, themes and important point from the poem.
{getToc} $title={Table of Contents}
Short Summary of the poem Soft Storm by Abhi Subedi
"Soft Storm" is a poem that reflects on the turbulent (अशान्त) times and the impact it has on the speaker. The speaker describes how he became "soft" after experiencing the chaos (अस्तव्यस्तता) and turmoil (अशान्ति) of the world around them. He sees the absurdity (मूर्खता) of the violence (हिंसा) and destruction and feel a sense of compassion (करुणा) for those affected by it.
The speaker also reflects on the beauty of nature, such as crocuses (बसन्त ऋतुको पहेलो सेतो निलो फूल वाला रूख) growing over stones and the moon singing, as a contrast to the hard times. The speaker wants to melt like a rainbow and let their "soft storm" dance in the ripples (लहर) of the reader's uneasy lake, as a way to bring peace and understanding in these hard times.
Soft Storm Summary
"Soft Storm" is a poem that reflects (दर्शाउनु) on the tumultuous (अशान्त) times and its impact on the speaker. The speaker became "soft" after experiencing the chaos (अस्तव्यस्तता) and turmoil (अशान्ति) of the world around them. He sees the absurdity (मूर्खता) of the violence and destruction (विनाश) in the world and feel a sense of compassion (करुणा) for those affected by it. The speaker reflects on the beauty of nature as a contrast to the hard times, such as crocuses growing over stones and the moon singing. The speaker also mentions how he saw a forlorn (निराश) child carrying a transistor radio around his neck, running around wailing (रुँदै) to find his mother, and a man beaten mercilessly (निर्दयी रूपमा) for no reason before his family.
The poem also mentions the homelessness (घरबारविहीनता) and hunger of children in Thamel, the turmoil (अशान्ति) and madness (पागलपन) of history, and the "dilapidations (बर्बाद गर्दै) of gods' abodes (निवास)" where songs and dances are buried under helpless divine debris (भाग्नावशेष). The speaker also highlights the role of nature in creating the turmoil by mentioning the warming earth, birds singing of bizarre (विचित्र) journeys over the deforested land, and rhododendron blooming in winter.
In the end, the speaker wants to melt like a rainbow and let their "soft storm" dance in the ripples of the reader's uneasy lake, as a way to bring peace and understanding in these hard times. The poem reflects the speaker's desire for peace and understanding in a world filled with turmoil and violence and the hope that nature can bring some solace in these hard times.
A Soft Storm by Abhi Subedi [Original Poem]
Soft Storm Exercise
When does the speaker grow soft? Enlist the occasions when he grows soft.
Answer: The speaker grows soft when he hears the tumult (कोलाहल) and crashes on the eerie (विचित्र) stillness, when the sky grew like crocuses over stones and became five inches taller, when the moon skidded down speaking in the language of posters and politics, rituals and reasons, when homeless children in Thamel cried with hunger under the bat-bearing trees of Kesharmahal, when the speaker returned from the melee (झगडा) where ceremony dances with mad steps on the unwedded gardens of history, when the speaker alone turned to the reader leaving deep dents of words on the white sheets, when the speaker saw a forlorn child carrying a transistor radio around his neck run around wailing to find his mother in the corridors of violent history, and when the speaker saw a man beaten mercilessly (निर्दयी रूपमा) for no reason before his family by nobody for no reason in no sensible times.
What do you understand by ‘this seamless city’?
Answer: "Seamless city" is not defined in the poem but it is a metaphor that is used to describe a place where everything appears to be connected, or a place that is orderly and without interruption.
Describe the poor children potrayed in the poem. (कवितामा चित्रित गरिब बालबालिकाको वर्णन गर्नुहोस्।)
Answer: The poor children in the poem are portrayed as crying with hunger under the bat-bearing trees of Kesharmahal, a place in Kathmandu, Nepal. They are homeless and without food.
What do you understand by ‘the unwedded gardens of history’?
Answer: The "unwedded gardens of history" is a metaphor for places where history and events are not connected or where events are not following a logical order. The metaphor suggests that history is chaotic and unpredictable.
Why was the forlorn child wailing? (असहाय बालक किन रुँदै थियो ?)
Answer: The forlorn (असहाय) child is wailing because he is trying to find his mother in the corridors of violent (क्रूर) history.
What do you understand by ‘soft storm’?
Answer: "Soft storm" is a metaphor used to describe the speaker's emotions and feelings. It suggests that the speaker's feelings are intense, but not violent or destructive.
Why does the speaker call our time ‘mad time’? (हाम्रो समयलाई वक्ताले किन ‘पागल समय’ भन्नुहुन्छ?)
Answer: The speaker calls our time "mad time" because it is a time of turmoil and violence. The speaker sees the absurdity and senselessness of the violence and destruction in the world.
What does the speaker want to do in “hard times”?
Answer: The speaker wants to melt like a rainbow and let their "soft storm" dance in the ripples of the reader's uneasy lake, as a way to bring peace and understanding in these hard times. The speaker wants to bring a sense of calm and understanding in a world filled with turmoil and violence.
What is the meaning of the word "Soft Storm" in the poem?
Answer: In the poem "Soft Storm," the phrase "soft storm" is used as a metaphor to describe the speaker's emotions and feelings. The speaker has become "soft" after experiencing the turmoil and violence of the world around them. He sees the absurdity and senselessness of the violence and destruction and feel a sense of compassion for those affected by it.
The word "storm" is used to convey intensity and power, but "soft" modifies it to indicate that the speaker's emotions are not violent or destructive. Instead, they are intense but gentle, like a soft wind, they want to bring peace and understanding in a world filled with turmoil and violence. The phrase "soft storm" is a way for the speaker to describe the nature of their emotions in the face of the hard times he is experiencing.
The poet uses the word ‘soft’ with the words like ‘storm’ and ‘gale’, which generally refer to disorder and violence. What effect does the poet achieve through the use of such anomalous expressions? (कविले ‘नरम’ शब्दलाई ‘तूफान’ र ‘आंधी’ जस्ता शब्दहरूसँग प्रयोग गरेका छन्, जसले सामान्यतया अव्यवस्था र हिंसालाई जनाउँछ। यस्ता विसंगत अभिव्यक्तिको प्रयोगबाट कविले कस्तो प्रभाव पाउँछन् ?)
Answer: The use of the word "soft" with words like "storm" and "gale" creates a sense of contrast (अन्तर बताउनु) and complexity (जटिलता) in the poem. These words are typically associated with disorder (अव्यवस्था) and violence (हिंसा), but the use of "soft" before them creates a sense of gentleness (नम्रता) and compassion (करुणा), which is in contrast to the turmoil (अशान्ति) and violence the speaker is describing. This creates a sense of irony (व्यंग्य), as the speaker is describing the intense emotions they are feeling in response to the turmoil and violence in the world, but they are not violent or destructive (विनाशकारी) themselves. This conveys a sense of the speaker's emotional complexity and the way they are trying to make sense of the world around them.
Additionally, by using the word "soft" in this way, the poet is also highlighting the absurdity (मूर्खता) of the violence (हिंसा) and destruction in the world. The speaker sees the senselessness and absurdity of the violence and destruction and feels a sense of compassion (करुणा) for those affected by it. This use of "soft" with words like "storm" and "gale" serves to emphasize the emotional turmoil and complexity that the speaker is experiencing.
Overall, the poet achieves a sense of complexity, irony, and emotional depth through the use of anomalous (असामान्य)expressions like "soft storm" and "soft gale" which contrasts the traditional meaning of these words and highlights the speaker's emotional turmoil and the absurdity of the violence and destruction in the world.
What is the speaker’s attitude towards the time he describes in the poem? (कवितामा वर्णन गरेको समयप्रति वक्ताको दृष्टिकोण कस्तो छ ?)
Answer: The speaker's attitude towards the time he describes in the poem is one of reflection, compassion and a sense of the absurdity of the turmoil and violence.The speaker describes how he became "soft" after experiencing the turmoil and violence of the world around him. He sees the senselessness (विवेकहीनता) and absurdity of the violence and destruction, and feels a sense of compassion (करुणा) for those affected by it.
The speaker reflects on the beauty of nature as a contrast to the hard times, such as crocuses growing over stones and the moon singing. He also mention how he saw a forlorn child carrying a transistor radio around his neck, running around wailing to find his mother, and a man beaten mercilessly for no reason before his family.
The speaker also describes how he returned from a melee where ceremony danced with mad steps on the unwedded gardens of history, growing around protruded (फैलिएको) rocks. Additionally, the speaker reflects on the plight of homeless children in Thamel who cried with hunger under the bat-bearing trees of Kesharmahal. The speaker is also critical (आलोचनात्मक) of the mad time spools winding all that we see and live with, stone growing in flower moon humming melodies, history rushing under the lamppost and over deforested land.
Overall, the speaker's attitude (दृष्टिकोण) towards the time described in the poem is one of reflection, compassion and a sense of the absurdity of the turmoil (अशान्ति) and violence. He describe how he has been affected emotionally (भावनात्मक रूपमा) by the events he sees happening around them, but also express a desire (इच्छा) for peace and understanding in these hard times. The speaker is critical of the senseless violence and destruction in the world and expresses a sense of empathy (सहानुभूति) for those affected by it. He also conveys the need for connection, both with the reader and with the world around us and ultimately wish to find a way to bring calm (शान्त) and understanding in the midst of chaos.
What is the speaker like? Is he a rebel? Why? Why not?
Answer: The speaker in the poem "Soft Storm" is contemplative (चिन्तनशील) and compassionate (दयालु), He is someone who reflects on the turmoil and violence in the world and expresses empathy for those affected by it. He also expresses a desire for peace (शान्ति) and understanding in these hard times. The speaker is critical of the senseless violence and destruction in the world and is affected emotionally by the events he sees happening around him.
The speaker is not a rebel (विद्रोही) in the traditional sense, as he is not actively trying to overthrow (परास्त गर्नु) or resist (प्रतिरोध) against any specific authority or system. He is not trying to incite (उक्साउनु) change through violent or destructive means, instead, he expresses a longing for peace and understanding. The speaker is not trying to change the world through rebellion but he is instead trying to find a way to bring calm and understanding in the midst of chaos (अराजकता). It is a more passive form of rebellion than active one.
Themes of the poem Soft Story
Turmoil and violence: The poem reflects on the tumultuous times in the world and the violence and destruction that the speaker witnesses.
Compassion: The speaker expresses a sense of compassion and empathy towards those affected by the turmoil and violence he sees in the world.
Absurdity of violence: The speaker sees the senselessness and absurdity of the violence and destruction in the world, and reflects on the impact it has on them emotionally.
Nature: The poem also highlights the contrast between the turmoil and violence in the world and the beauty of nature, such as crocuses growing over stones and the moon singing.
Hope: The poem reflects the speaker's desire for peace and understanding in a world filled with turmoil and violence. The speaker wants to bring a sense of calm and understanding in the hard times he is experiencing.
The impact of history: The poem also reflects on the impact of the past events on the present, and how it shapes the world.
The role of nature in creating turmoil: The poem also mentions the role of nature in creating turmoil by mentioning the warming earth, birds singing of bizarre journeys over the deforested land, and rhododendron blooming in winter.
The need for connection: The poem also touches on the need for connection, both with the reader and with the world around us.