Criticism of Asim Kumar Paul’s 13th book of poems ‘Defining self while travelling at Kanyakumari and Kashmir’

Criticism of Asim Kumar Paul’s 13th book of poems

published in the journal, International Journal on Multicultural Literature ISSN 2231-6248 in its July 2026 issue Vol 18 no. 2, edited by Dr. K.V. Dominic from Kerala, INDIA

Critical view on ‘Defining Self while travelling at Kanyakumari and Kashmir’

of Asim Kumar Paul

Dr. M. Thirumeni.

The latest work of Mr. Paul is different from his past works. Paul in his initial stages wrote poems on seasons, rivers, and mountains getting a little of Wordsworth of Bengal. His latter works were echoes of social problems and voices of suppressed humanity.

In this latest work, we see him as a nationalist connecting Cape Comorin to the Kashmir valley. These poems can be described as landscapes poems describing the landscapes and variety of India’s villages and small towns. They are also photographic poems since they are accompanied by photographic illustrations of the poet’s passions and expressions. That is why his poetry is called picture poetry. In the hands of Asim Kumar Paul both pen and camera work together and are in harmony to create an imaginative experience or emotions. His lines on the shore of Cape Comorin are fantastic. The temple of Valluvar, and Vivekananda rock indicate the cultural links between Bengalis and Tamils.

He writes about Sankara who travelled from South to North to unite Hindus and to save the Hinduism from the destructive trends of invaders.    

             He refers to philosophy of illusion of Adhi Sankara. He travelled on foot, but Paul travelled by train.

“I looked up and stood at the temple

For

A moment to pay him respect…” (Page-25)

In the second part, he gives the picture of Kashmir and its fantastic spots like Gulmarg and Sonamarg. Also he had his national vision of unity in diversity. But South is peaceful and Noth is violent. The writing on Dal Lake mentions its pollution. Gulmarg attracts him in a magical way.  

“I am excited to see greenery landscapes

It comes to my mind to make a film,” (page-106)   

Thus, the poet of Bengal, a revolutionary, grows into a kind of a nationalist and patriot of India getting an idea of Indian culture, in spite of its variety and differences

His poems will live long.

CONVERSATION DURING PANDEMIC

 

Please click the picture

 

MEMORIES

I can see you’re one

You can see I’m one

We are in crowds

As we come and see

Sunrise at beach,

On New Year Day.

Now in the darkness

I’m inside home

I’m reading a poem

Deaf crowd’s voice,

A virus awake outside

Everything changed.

I can’t know

Exterior songs

A hole in air

Man’s tired cell

Secreted throat

Home is my map.

Yet I dream

An open joy

I’ll sit on your bed

I’ll be in love

Hotels will open

Make new footprints.

© Asim Kumar Paul

16.04.2020

MY POEM OF THE DAY on Shuvo Noboborsho 1427, Bengali New Year Day, 14 April, 2020:

BEHEMOTH

They tell all to remain locked in home,

To keep up four-mitre distance between

One and another while moving outside

Home in urgency. A long journey, unfamiliar,

Roots and cause of virus shock everyone so long,

Fear begets fear, pain brings smoke, half-killing.

Smear gives the mood that detaches all,

All those episodes try to reveal a truth that

It has some wake up call for change where

There is some link of desire of acquiring

The huge left over assets those are denied

For those who never think of such vast treasure.

 

These are not adventures of people in

Burning Ghats or of gravediggers, but some

Sort of mischievous space between civilizations

And human control saga, motivated with

Luster of steering wheels of management and win

Over all resources of the earth that has to be proud of.  

It is time now for commons who are victims of it

To work for their benefit by the core of heart, benevolent

Research work under minus 100 degree Celsius lab

To combat hand-in-hand to throw out those who

Pervade peaceful region of common man and the nature.  

 

After then will begin simple living with food and shelter,

That will be movable and immovable assets, and dream

With blessings of God with air and water, without fear of

Mind, pronouncing everyone is the form of other one.

 

© Asim Kumar Paul

14.04.2020

THE COVIT-2019 DAYS IN QUARANTINE

 

At the home time

I am in dark, knowing nothing about you,

But can feel the great haul you are in

Pains of depression

Not for past time

But for the present

And you use your mind as wing of selves

To keep free from anxiety, 

Now the moon spreading pink light

Around the world.

We want every place  filled with syllable of love

Something right

Between our forefathers and our new generations,

A location of great joy

For emancipating from sins if we have done,

As buds have torn away darkness

When I see them in the nature

I embrace the feeling of love

And drive away pain

That has stolen so many millions of years

From our life.

Now solar orb has to put lunar journey

With new hope for magnificent life

For a bold step to cut off our anxiety.

 Full of wellness for all.

LIFE IS CHANGING WITH COVID – 2019

I like to tour at short distant places

Within my financial limits,

I like staying at a new home yard

And crowds together,

I and people assemble

With charming names

And strange faces to remember

Or to hear sound of human whispers,

That is worth to touch all hearts

Around me,

I don’t remember when

I have fallen ill in tour when

I raise arms to embrace a stranger

Across the field of staying in public,

Tour is bound to from a charming

Enclave to mix and fix relations

With life and society

Before being vanished from

Sight and I have last assembled

Just in October, 2019.

Since March 2020,

I am confined in my home,

How I begin my life?

I cannot travel briefly

And cannot sit among strangers

And that I do most of my time.

I have wife, son, daughter-in-law

And sweet grandson, they try

To keep me in peace in silence,

But I want to listen to those

Who give messages and

Want to speak to me about life

And their manifestation of sincerity

In dealing with mutual understanding

Of existence and guarantee of

Social protection for living with energy.

Fear of getting infected in pandemic

Clams down heavily upon me and

Its consequence is devastating,

As if nothing is left for me.

And I have to forget

We are all one and one for all.

PRAYER

Praise our soul as human power

To rise above rocking distress

And survive like the smile of the

Rose that lifts its head in the dark.

NEW YEAR’S DAY, 2020

 

THE NEW YEAR, 2020

 

The announcement was all protests are fabricated.

Last day, solar eclipse tells us a story,

Formerly a king goes with calls of lordship

To conquer the sun and banish those who fail

To follow his wisdom as he dislikes rival wisdom,

Even if in trying so, famine may come.

 

The sun has the transcription, and cannot move

Incorrectly in its orbit, it has some duty, as people

Has duty to work for food, and even if they are

Trapped, sweat, hope, dream come in a decision,

And that time eclipse will vanish, and a revered

Human being, a doctor, for instance will bless.

 

Today the sun tells us full about this journey,

And it seems somewhat like a battle, to create

A morning, frozen dew drops on the grass tips,

Something, like beautiful eyes of the little one,

To see all in order, appearing like symmetrical win,

The sun will tell happy tale of mankind and we hear.

 

-© Asim Kumar Paul

01.01.2020

 

 

SELFIE

SELFIE

(This poem is dedicated to the International Poetry Fest, held at JKC college, Guntur, AP, India, organized by Dr. Gopichand Paruchuri & Dr. Nagasuseela Panchumarthi of JKC college GUNTUR)

Selfie, you build an image perceptible to own.

You keep your image with others’ faces those enter there.

A group of actors takes center stage, being comfort in acting form.

Like others, for you, in rotation, mind’s eye rides on eyes’ delight.

 

Phone-monitor, your fairy finger relives picture of the acting jerk,

You have captured the picture view beneath the array of flying lights,

For the moment your vision averts photo’s eyes, directed miles away.

You are so mused in compiling elegant scene, refined reactions.

 

Smile is corridor of capturing love,

Photo-shoot, tap picture button on phone and explore the decency.

You take a picture from live presentation, image of love.

All are blown to take pictures of an event to stare at its luminous presence.

 

She feels urge to capture a favorite object, to reveal its mirror-expanses.

Good choice, everyone visible with tides of their smiles.

Hearing voice of a disciple, the professor welcomes the gem.

Holding the snap with care, she sets eyes responsive to audience.

 

Lifted up, trying to build better, her eyes bring back pictures to life,

No matter even if mountain comes, to snap a picture is matter of creativity,

Golden bracelets, engagement ring, earring join with eyes to take a shot,

Expert’s impression to have a beautiful picture, no profit claimed.

 

She is too eager for a picture of her beloved one on dais,

All to bear beautiful construction while taking photos of main stream,

Dais is for peace, she takes a photo of a warrior for peace.

Sublime is its sign of his feeling for a picture of a domain speaker. .

 

Mobile phone photography is a window; a beautiful hand makes it wonderful.

 

EARTH DAY 2019

SUNRISE

So many years, that it happens for sixty eight years,

Every day, the sun fills the earth with light,

Never knowing it is its surprise, as I see it in my life,

One eye ball, filling the otherness on the earth,

Intended even more time since birth of the sun,

I realize it, re-invented it, like others through time,

 

Light,

The earth,

Dark,

Light,

The earth,

Dark,

Light,

 

I live in a strange place,

 

The earth,

The cycle,

The BIG BANG,

 

The day was 18th September, 2018, Tuesday,

The truth comes just before I am moving in train,

To reach Hyderabad, with purposed, re-purposed,

A divine, an orbit to know the knowledge, as I move,

 

Language, words, universe move in accordance with time.

 

 

PRAYER FOR HAPPY BENGALI NEW YEAR 1425

Last day, he did not find any flower,

Green sprouted leaves from a sal tree

Nor did he get flowers and newly

Grown leaves from a mahua tree,

To worship in his house for wellness,

Happiness to his wife and family.

Picture of his living place has changed.

He couldn’t let away the day of

Chaitra Sankranti captive of

Non availability of those items,

And, instead he arranged for other

Ways to collect puja items,

What he could purchase from Big Bazar

And collected flowers available in his garden.

 

This day he has to arrange fish

And mangoes for launch to

Observe Bengali New Year Day

On 15.08.2018, Poila Baisakh,

i.e. 1st Baisakh, in the year, 1425.

This day, he will take holy bath

And pray for all to be nice,

And be happy through the year,

He will pray to God to keep

All people to live in peace,

No one needs to move for earning

And dwelling by hardship,

Caused by uneven pathway

Of allocations or otherwise, and

Even if such happens by the way,

He will pray to God for arranging

A peaceful way to draw a curtain

To close such ill apartments.

He thinks every land is forefathers’

Equally relevant to live peacefully,

And there exists one and only one

Supreme power, the only source

From where everyone comes upon this earth.

THE WONDERFUL SUN

Coming out from city life, being

Torn with toss-and-gain-grip,

Everyone haunted with life real,

With war and fear in mind, we stood

On the beach, with hope to have

Fresh respiration, no phone calls,

No daily pasting of photos, no data,

We found the sun, as if it is born to act,

And it makes us think of self and to

Realize we’re not thrown into dissolution,

And it ferries life cycle, but we are living

Aided by desire, ready to work for own share,

For benefit, with power and scroll of toasted words,

We are living for gaining or acquiring

Elephantine chambers with home

Where knowledge has no speech

And people gather for getting chance of

Favors of power and attaining decrees

On material acquisitions, and perquisites.

We’re mesmerized with allusion.

Who is the leader of our mind?

Can we leave this battle zone?

Standing on this space and time,

We want change in belief, in

The reflected sunrays on the waters,

Those hold true qualities of living,

It is thought that water is free

With an identity for soothing of all burns,

And to honor our relieved mind from pains

Of gain, relieved from bargaining of wealth,

We learn first charity to be given to people,

And fathom worth and grace of life, and

The sun reflects its nobility with no weapons

In the vastness of the sea, profoundly.

 

 

 

INSPIRATION BY THE WONDERFUL SUN

Coming out from country life,

Tanned with toss and gain grip

Bringing war and fear on the beach

We find the sun, on morning wall,

Everyone remembers dissolution,

That ferries life cycle, as if

We are living in jungle, with home

That has no power to reflect truth,

We’re mesmerized with allusion,

And we want change in belief, in

The reflected sunrays on the waters,

That holds true quality of living,

It is thought that water is free

With an identity for soothing all burns

That we acquire while we travel in country,

And the sea imprints its vastness, profoundly.

HAIKU

 

morning bud asks

to fill sun in your heart

no one feels risk