Gaia Shreedhar Lohani

Gaia

Shreedhar Lohani, Nepal (1944-)

b. Write the four levels of meanings to the poem "Gaia",

Literal Comprehension: The strong hot wind blowing everywhere that has made palm trees withered. This imbalance in nature causes over rain. This destructive rain has made the sea. To wait with vast open mouth grabbing how much water comes there. The sharp pointed mountain peaks are also eating with beaks and causing the earth trouble day by day. Earth is polluted very much due to human ruthless activities. The bad smell of damaged fungus has brought many problems to the home (Earth) where we all live. This has brought problems, hunger and disturbances in the world. Yet the mother Earth tolerates all them calmly.

Interpretation:  This poem "Gaia" has presented the dilemma of the biosphere. Human beings are careless in their activities so they are creating a number of problem in the environment. Mother earth, "Gaia" is so much tolerant that whatever people do upon her she calmly accepts them. But it might also indicate that to the extreme point of toleration she may turn towards revenge of heedless action upon her. There may be anti-action that will be far more destructive to human beings. This revenge has been foretold in myths in ancient cultures also.

Critical Thinking: This poem has only 12 lines and is in two stanzas. More than rhyme other literary language the use of metaphors is very much strong. The six metaphors used in the poem-wind, rain, mountain, sea, time and the house have bought was area of the earth. Hot wind is destructive to palm tree that cause to destructive rain. The sea and mountain as well as time are giving torture constantly. The house stands here as the earth in general. But like mother to nourishment of child Goddess Earth or Mother Earth tolerates how much injustice done upon her. Careless human beings are sheer cause of the destruction of earth and its beauty. The poem written based on Gaia hypothesis is really convincing. Though we can rise a question of existence of God at present but the current ecological problems of the world are not less serious.

Assimilation:  The poem gave me a clear concept of an ecological destruction due to reckless activities of human beings. It gave me an insight that if domination is at the extreme, there will be revenge as well. I quickly remembered the poem "Gods Grandeur" by G.M. Hopkins. Here the poet has presented careless money-minded people who are running after power, wealth having no faith on kind God. Yet God will take care to all plants and creatures like a hen to brood her eggs.