Learner's Area

Full Explanation On "The Void" of G.M. MUKTIBODH

By H.B. December 26, 2022

FULL EXPLANATION ON

"THE VOID"

BY G. M. MUKTIBODH

ABOUT THE POET :

Full name of G.M. Muktibodh is Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh . As a modern Indian writer , he was a pioneer of the 20th century . Muktibodh was called a versatile man for having the knowledge from all aspects from study to a veteran film director . "Chand ka Munh Tera hai" is one of his masterpieces . Besides being an Existentialist , he was deeply absorbed in the theory of Marxism. He is famous for his use of powerful imagery and for experimentalist writing . "The Void" came up in Muktibodh's compiled work "Chand ka munh Tera hai" . The void is the translated version of his poem "Shunya" . The poem depicts the negative side of our mind, the negativity which enslaves us and devours humanity from within .

----THE SUMMARY OF "THE VOID"----

"The Void" ( originally "Shunya" ) written by G.M. Muktibodh , one of the pioneers of modern poetry in India , explicates the voidness or emptiness existing inside human-heart . That void possesses carnivorous teeth with which it consumes goodness or humanity from all individuals . The void is dark , inhumanly cruel , shameless , wild and "completely self-absorbed" . The poet further declares that this void is circulated from one person to another through angry words and deeds . Thus , "children of emptiness" is produced . Mankind is infected by those offsprings in a collective manner . The world , despite the powerful presence of the void and the suffering incited by it , prefers to overlook it with reluctance . According to the viewpoint of Muktibodh , this void is a great threat to humanity .

----QUOTES EXPLANATION----

1) " The void inside us

Has jaws ,

Those jaws have carnivorous teeth;

Those teeth will chew you up ,

Those teeth will chew up everyone else. "

Ans. : The above lines have been taken from G.M.Muktibodh's "The Void" . They are from the introductory part of the poem .

The poet here comments on the void that lives inside every human heart . This void has jaws that have carnivorous teeth with which the void finds its nourishment consuming goodness for humanity from within . Actually , this void is a part of the subconscious mind. It is negativity which enslaves us and devours the cream of humanity by using its beastlike sharp teeth. The void stands for the sense of nothingness, lack of peace despite all achievements and greatness one has .

2)"The dearth inside

Is our nature ,

Habitually angry ,

In the dark hollow inside the jaws

There is a pond of blood .

This void is utterly black ,

Is barbaric , is naked ,

Disowned , debased ,

Completely self-absorbed."

Ans.: In "The Void" by G.M. Muktibodh , the above lines reveal the actual characteristics of the void .

The void or emptiness or nothingness inside human-heart builds its nest and consumes goodness or humanity of human beings . The poet then indicates the "dearth" meaning scarcity inside us where the void takes its place . The "pond of blood" is , here , an image to disclose the ruthless side of human nature , rather of a dissatisfied hostile mind . Just after then , the poet personifies the void creating a physical structure : he goes on saying that the void is "utterly black" or gloomy in complexion ; besides , it is not only savagely cruel but also very shameless . As well as being wild and forsaken , the void is self-centred in completion . Thus , Muktibodh clearly embodies the demonic spirit inside the image of void .

3) " I scatter it ,

Give it away,

With fiery words and deeds .

Those who cross my path

Find this void

In the wounds ,

I inflict on them.

They let it grow ,

Spread it around,

Scatter it and give it away to others

Raising the children of emptiness."

Ans.: " The Void " is one of the most famous poems written by G.M. Muktibodh. Here , the poet has elaborated on the circulating process of the void .

The poetic persona who possesses the void says that he divulges it to others with his hostile words and deeds with the intention of spreading the void . Commons who come and cross the way of the poetic persona feel and find the void inside themselves as has been imposed by the poetic persona . Thus , "they let it grow "/"spread it around". Further , they again scatter it to others , "raising the children of emptiness" . In this way , the void develops and develops and widens its influence by doing the same .

(4) " The void is very durable ,

It is fertile.

Everywhere it breeds

Saws , daggers , sickles ,

Breeds carnivorous teeth.

That is why ,

Wherever you look,

There is dancing , jubilation ,

Death is now giving birth

To brand new children . "

Ans.: G.M. Muktibodh , in his celebrated poem "The Void" , expounds how this void spreads and affects people . All three symbols - "saws", "daggers", and "sickles" - represent the negative qualities like cruelty and ruthlessness . The teeth of these instruments are compared to the "carnivorous teeth" . So , the void is fertile and lives for a long time . Each and every place , eyes find "dancing" and "jubilation" because death too is branding new children who are born with void , having carnivorous teeth . These are the paradoxical lines of the poem . Indeed , the poet has no assurance for a good generation in the near future .

(5). " Everywhere

There are oversights

With the teeth of saws,

They are heavily armed mistakes:

The world looks at them

And walks on,

Rubbing its hands ."

Ans.: According to G.M. Muktibodh's " The Void" , the void or emptiness nesting inside the human-heart infects a lot of people . Ignorants , instead of focusing on themselves , remain busy in the mood of merrymaking . Though the void feeds on the goodness in their hearts , commons fail to understand it . It is known to all that wars have taken away thousands of lives . Still , people drink the cup of forgetfulness , avoiding the effects . "The world looks at them " / "and walks on " ,/ "rubbing its hands" .

Therefore , the poet , here , tries to unfold it that the void inside us always keeps us in a state of forgetfulness and passivity forever .

------- SYMBOLS IN "THE VOID"-------

G.M.Muktibodh is one of the pioneers of modern poetry in India . He is considered to be a doyen of Hindi poetry . His precious poem "The Void" is replete with a number of symbols . The void which exists in human-heart itself is a symbol . It symbolises the negative side of our mind . It devours the good spirit inside us with its carnivorous teeth . Besides , "the pond of blood" , here , indicates subconscious human nature .