Part 5

continued from part 4

Optimism, at a conceptual level, is very promising and inspiring. After all who would want to wallow in miseries and depressions forever without hoping for betterment? But merely wishing for a brighter tomorrow and hoping for an quick turnaround is not what optimism is all about. Latching on to the concept of optimism, after things have gone sour, as though it is some miraculous helping hand that would automatically pull one of out of the quicksand of stagnated thoughts, is as good as doing nothing. Optimism, after the end result, is a hollow idea, an empty statement, inducing a false sense of comfort that would lull the senses back into the same cesspool. Instead, optimism, entering the fray at the start line, remaining through out the journey, would see one through the troubled times, even if things do not turn out the way as expected. Optimism is not a prescription for healing battle wounds and mending rended hearts, instead it is an essential nutrient that would nourish the mind into accepting any kind of result, and develop the inner wherewithal to deal with it effectively. However, optimism, at a personal level, is a much tougher trait to inculcate and implement, as it is the individual himself who has to stand up against trying situations that never let up. It is precisely for this reason that social movements and revolutions succeed far more than individual realizations and transformations, as the drive to continuously look at the silver linings on the dark clouds is easier at a collective level than at an indivudual's. Which brings to the fore a pertinent question - what is it that optimism has contend with, in other words, what is it that works against optimism? Plain defeat is a quick reply. But defeat is only an outcome. But what does optimism have to fight against to on a continual basis? It is the unending onslaught of negativity, a growing sense of resignation to the status quo that assaults optimism relentlessly. And the true mark of an optimist is to rise up every time the negativity gains an upper hand over the spirit.

And it is this indefatigable spirit that the poetry of Sirivennela often celebrates. There are two recurrent themes/metaphors that surface up from time to time in his poetry - one is the image of the sea, with the rollicking waves, rising up and crashing down incessantly, and the other is of the diurnal ritual of the night handing over the reigns to the day. In the first theme, every rough trough is followed by a great crest, signifying the soaring spirit of the waves, that simply refuse to lie low and give in to the overbearing gravity.

nityamoo kottha aavistunna amrutam laanTi aaSatO
egasi aavirai ashTa dikkuloo daaTi mabbulani meeTi
niluvuna nimirite gaganamae karagada
jala jala sirulagu sudhalanu kuravadaa

The spirit is of undying hope, an unwavering optimism that gives out the message of sticking to the task of aspiring to rise to the top, and almost achieving it, regardless of factors that try to keep it down. There are various themes that the poet mines out of this otherwise dull and repetitious act - the ability to pick itself up after a hard fall, the humility in the realization of an expected fall after a meteoric rise, the quality of remaining calm and composed in spite of great inner turbulence, the tenacity in trying to keep with the act of reaching the goal (the shore), despite everything that draw them back, and above all, the selfless act of serving themselves up to be scorched and vaporized to serve the greater good by the way of transforming into cumulus clouds and many such. Each of these serve a different purpose of highlighting the hidden facets of the human psyche, as though stating, that if some waves can do all the above without even thinking, think about the limitless potential of a thinking mind!

Though both the metaphors - the sea and the darkness - deal with the same issue, there lies a fundamental difference between the two themes. While the former exemplifies the value of effort, the rising of the waves again and again after repeated crashings, the latter deals with the inevitable changing of the fortunes, that follows prolonged periods of gloom. While the former glorifies action, the latter highlights belief. Both of these are equally important in the strengthening of the mindset - the effort and the hope. And this hope is not unfounded or even delusional. It is based on the fact that the night is always the darkest just before the dawn. And with a sustained effort to see through the gloom, a better tomorrow awaits on the other side, remains the central point of the theme.

The size of the opponent is hardly any matter when it comes to the matter of the spirit. A tiny speck of light goes a long way to dispel the darkness that looms around ('chedaraka pOdugaa chikkaTi cheekaTi miNuguru purugu rekka venaka kaantiki'), the delicate wings of even the tiniest bird takes on the vast expanse of the sky in a fearless fashion ('ningi enta peddadaina rivvumanna guvvapilla rekka mundu takkuvaenuraa'). Size is only a statistic that can barely measure up to the monumental effort. The terms 'effort' and 'struggle' tend to be interchangeable, and in some case interdependent, implying that when effort ascends to the level of struggle, wish becomes desire and the burning desire eventually transforms into a hard goal. Leading from the front, in the march towards the goal, are the desire and willingness to stick to the path ('aaSa neeku aStramaunu, Swaasa neeku Sastramaunu, aaSayammu saaradhaunuraa'), ably backed up by the finely honed instincts and strenghts ('daehamundi prANamundi netturundi sattuvundi, intakanna sainyamunDunaa'), causing the heavens to beckon and bestow their best. The sum total of effort, struggle, perseverance, patience, desire, belief and hope together make up the outlook of optimism. And from solos to duets, from situational songs to items numbers, Sirivennela's pen dips deep into the inkwells of optimism, at regular intervals.

On a more humorous note, how's this for eternal optimism

konDalaa kOrsu undi
entakee taggnandi
aendirO inta goDava?
endukee hairaana verri naanna
veLLaraa suLuvaina daarilOna
undigaa septembaru maarchi paina
vaayidaa paddatundi daenikainaa

Rightly said! Situation is not what is important, it is the attitude.

Cont'd in next part - Standards - how low is too low?

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