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CELEBRATING THE JOY AND RIGHTS OF CHILDREN by Kamlesh Tripathi

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Happy to share my piece on Children’s Day, published in the October 25 edition of Bandra Times.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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Children’s Day: Celebrating the Joy and Rights of Children by Kamlesh Tripathi

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    “Every child is a different kind of flower, and all together they make this world a beautiful garden.” This fascinating popular quote reminds us of the uniqueness of each child and the collective beauty they bring to our lives and the world. Let the world be free from the shadow of the Pied Piper, who led the children away from their village to the top of Koppelberg Hill, never to return. The street in Hamelin, called Bungelosenstrasse (street without drums), is believed to be the place where the children were last seen. Ever since, music and dancing is not allowed there. Children’s Day, however, is a celebration meant to overcome such dark associations. It is supposed to build on powerful child characters such as ‘The Famous Five,’ the hit novel of Enid Blyton, where children, while holidaying in an old dilapidated lighthouse, recover a lost treasure all by themselves. But the quintessential example of children’s day could be from the escapades of young bubbly Krishna in Mathura and Vrindavan. Did William Wordsworth think of child Krishna when he wrote, “Child is the father of the man”?

    It is a day dedicated to celebrating children. The idea dates back to the early 20th century. The first official communique of Children’s Day was made in 1925 at the World Conference on Child Welfare held in Geneva, Switzerland. Since then, many countries have designed their own versions of the celebration. The day aims to raise awareness about children’s rights, their needs, and their well-being. Although celebrated on different dates around the world, the underlying message is universal: every child deserves love, care, protection, and the opportunity to grow in a safe and nurturing environment. While the day is often filled with fun and joy, its true essence lies in recognising that children are the future of the world.

    In 1954, the United Nations declared November 20 as Universal Children’s Day. This was done to promote global togetherness, increase awareness among children worldwide, and improve their overall welfare.

    In India, Children’s Day is celebrated to highlight children’s rights, education, and welfare. It is observed on 14 November each year, marking the birthday of the first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru was known for his fondness for children. On this day, many schools across the country organise educational and motivational programmes. Some schools declare a holiday, while others host fairs and cultural events for their students.

    The first Children’s Day was observed on November 5, 1948. It was referred to as the ‘Flower Day’. On July 30, 1949, “Children’s Day” received wider attention and was promoted through radio, print media, and cinema.

     In 1951, V. M. Kulkarni, a United Nations Social Welfare Fellow, was conducting a study on the rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents in the UK. He discovered that India lacked a systematic approach to support underprivileged children. Inspired by Flag Day in England, which raised funds for the ‘Save the Children Fund’ on the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, he proposed that Pandit Nehru’s birthday be observed as Flag Day for raising funds for NGOs working for child welfare in India. Although initially embarrassed by the idea, Nehru eventually consented.

    Though Nehru’s birthday, on 14 November, was celebrated publicly for years, it was only in 1954 that the day was celebrated as Children’s Day for the first time. Thousands of school children attended the celebration held at the National Stadium in Delhi.

    In 1957, 14 November was officially declared as Children’s Day in India.     On November 14, 1957, during the celebration, white pigeons were released into the sky. That same year, the government issued a special notification, officially declaring 14th November as Children’s Day in India.   The Department of Posts and Telegraphs also released first-day covers and three commemorative stamps in honour of Bal Divas (Children’s Day).

Jawaharlal Nehru was fondly called Chacha Nehru (“Uncle Nehru”) by children. As Rabindranath Tagore once said, “Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.”

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

*

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Like it and Share it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

***

Children’s Day: Celebrating the Joy and Rights of Children … Kamlesh Tripathi

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    “Every child is a different kind of flower, and all together they make this world a beautiful garden.” – Anonymous. Let the world be free from the shadow of the Pied Piper, who led the children away from their village to the top of Koppelberg Hill, never to return. The street in Hamelin, called Bungelosenstrasse (street without drums), is believed to be the place where the children were last seen. Ever since, music and dancing is not allowed there. Children’s Day, however, is a celebration meant to overcome such dark associations.

    It is a day dedicated to celebrating children. The idea dates back to the early 20th century. The first official communique of Children’s Day was made in 1925 at the World Conference on Child Welfare held in Geneva, Switzerland. Since then, many countries have designed their own versions of the celebration. The day aims to raise awareness about children’s rights, their needs, and their well-being. Although celebrated on different dates around the world, the underlying message is universal: every child deserves love, care, protection, and the opportunity to grow in a safe and nurturing environment. While the day is often filled with fun and joy, its true essence lies in recognising that children are the future of the world.

    In 1954, the United Nations declared November 20 as Universal Children’s Day. This was done to promote global togetherness, increase awareness among children worldwide, and improve their overall welfare.

    In India, Children’s Day is celebrated to highlight children’s rights, education, and welfare. It is observed on 14 November each year, marking the birthday of the first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru was known for his fondness for children. On this day, many schools across the country organise educational and motivational programmes. Some schools declare a holiday, while others host fairs and cultural events for their students.

    The first Children’s Day was observed on November 5, 1948. It was referred to as the ‘Flower Day’. On July 30, 1949, “Children’s Day” received wider attention and was promoted through radio, print media, and cinema.

     In 1951, V. M. Kulkarni, a United Nations Social Welfare Fellow, was conducting a study on the rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents in the UK. He discovered that India lacked a systematic approach to support underprivileged children. Inspired by Flag Day in England, which raised funds for the ‘Save the Children Fund’ on the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, he proposed that Pandit Nehru’s birthday be observed as Flag Day for raising funds for NGOs working for child welfare in India. Although initially embarrassed by the idea, Nehru eventually consented.

    Though Nehru’s birthday, on 14 November, was celebrated publicly for years, it was only in 1954 that the day was celebrated as Children’s Day for the first time. Thousands of school children attended the celebration held at the National Stadium in Delhi.

    In 1957, 14 November was officially declared as Children’s Day in India.     On November 14, 1957, during the celebration, white pigeons were released into the sky. In a rare and memorable moment, one pigeon returned and perched on Nehru’s head. That same year, the government issued a special notification, officially declaring 14th November as Children’s Day in India.   The Department of Posts and Telegraphs also released first-day covers and three commemorative stamps in honour of Bal Divas (Children’s Day).

    Jawaharlal Nehru was fondly called Chacha Nehru (“Uncle Nehru”) by children. As Rabindranath Tagore once said, “Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.”

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

*

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Like it and Share it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

***

John Milton and Surdas Surmounted Their Blind Vision … by Kamlesh Tripathi

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    Though, John Milton and Surdas lived in a similar world of poetry, they were separated by continents, century, race and culture. Surdas lived between 1479-1586, while Milton lived between, 1608–1674. Both are remembered today not only for the brilliance of their poetry, but also for their profound inner vision, which becomes even more brilliant by the fact that they both composed their enduring works after losing their eyesight.

    Milton was an English Puritan poet and a political thinker, whereas the Indian Surdas was a devotional Hindi saint-poet who spearheaded the Bhakti movement. They both belonged to different religions — Christianity and Hinduism, respectively but with a fire for poetry.

    Surdas was either born blind or had lost his eyesight in early childhood. Milton, on the other hand, lost his eyesight in his forties, around 1652, most likely due to glaucoma.

    Despite limitations, Surdas is widely recognised as a major figure in the Bhakti movement, primarily devoted to Lord Krishna. His emotive and spiritual dohas (verses) are said to have been passed down orally and later compiled in the Sursagar, or ‘Ocean of melodies or Ocean of tunes.’ His compositions, which were mostly in Braj Bhasha, are a dialect of Hindi spoken in the region associated with Krishna’s early life.

    By the time Milton lost his eyesight, he was already an accomplished poet and an intellectual. Milton’s blindness, instead of stalling his creativity, seemed to refine it. He composed his greatest epics–Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, and Samson Agonistes through dictation, relying on aides to transcribe his verses. Like Surdas, Milton too did not see blindness as a handicap but as a pathway leading to a higher form of spiritual attainment.

    Both poets had a religious mind. Although stylistically different, both had infused their works with philosophical and devotional seriousness. Milton, a devout Christian, wrote with the spontaneous aim of interpreting and elevating spiritual truth. In Paradise Lost, he sets out “to justify the ways of God to men.” He addresses themes such as the Fall of Man, temptation, obedience, and redemption. He wrote in Paradise Lost, “Solitude sometimes is the best society,” which reminds you of Ernest Hemingway’s words in his 1954 Nobel Acceptance Speech, “Writing, at its best, is a lonely life.” Milton’s theological affinity, shaped by the rigorous study of scripture and classical texts, transforms into a poetic splendour. Meanwhile, Surdas’s creations are acts of loving surrender. Krishna appears in multiple forms in his dohas (verses): as a mischievous child, a divine lover, and also the supreme being. Lines such as “Ka mangu kachu thira na rahai” (What should I ask for, when nothing is permanent?) captures the essence of his Bhakti without expectation.

    Milton’s epics are not just stories but musings on justice, free will, human suffering, and divine grace. His works show outstanding intellectual discipline, theological depth, and poetic mastery.  Surdas, too, uses his poetic expressions to explore the soul’s belongingness, the relevance of humility, and the spiritual path to surrender before God. Their works are more than a literary endeavour. They become a vehicle for exploring human conditions and articulating metaphysical realities.

    Another uniting theme between Milton and Surdas was their poetic sense of duty. Neither viewed poetry as mere personal or artistic expression. For both, it was a sacred responsibility, a way to convey, inspire and elevate. Milton’s epic verse seeks to engage the intellect and the soul, guiding readers towards a better understanding of divine justice and human morality. Surdas’s dohas were intended for oral performance and collective singing. It invited listeners into a shared space of devotion and spiritual intimacy. The duo’s poetry continues to be read, sung, studied, and revered, not only for its beauty but also for its power to move the soul.

    Language, for both the poets, was of the essence. Milton promoted the English language to unprecedented heights at a time when Latin was still seen as the language of serious scholarship. Milton chose English and, through his use of blank verse, gave it towering dignity. His English stood along with the classical languages of Homer and Virgil. On the other hand, Surdas did something outstandingly transformative. He wrote in Braj Bhasha, a regional and vernacular dialect. Braj Bhasha is written in the Devanagari script. By using it to express the spiritual and emotional state of his mind, he not only made religious ideas accessible to the masses but also raised Braj to the level of a respected literary language. Through them, both English and Braj Bhasha became vessels of sacred expression.

    Finally, what makes Milton and Surdas an enduring duo is not just their literary genius, but their ability to transform personal blindness into a powerful metaphor for inner vision. Where physical sight failed, spiritual insight flourished. Through their works, both poets remind us that the deepest prayers are often seen not with the eyes but with the heart. Whether through the sonorous cadences of Milton’s blank verse or the lilting melodies of Surdas’s bhajans, they teach us that poetry can be a form of prayer, and vision a matter of the soul. Surely, where there is a will there is a way.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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25/10/25 When Billionaires Speak of Antichrist … by Devdutt Pattanaik

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WHEN BILLIONAIRES SPEAK OF ANTICHRIST (Economic Times 25/10/25)
    “Peter Thiel’s argument reveals the engineering obsession of seeing everything as a problem and seeking the final solution”
DEVDUTT PATTANAIK, AUTHOR OF BUSINESS SUTRA

    Peter Thiel– venture capitalist and PayPal co-founder — recently used the Christian myth of Antichrist to describe everyone who fears and resists technological change. In other words, for him, technology is Christ, saviour, God even.
    In his recent lecture series and interviews, he develops a worldview that fuses Christian apocalyptic language with libertarian suspicion of regulation. It reveals the anxieties that plague him despite great wealth, power and success. Here is a man of science appealing to humans to ‘trust’ technology. Like the know-it-all guru.
     Christian myth never talks of nature. It considers human suffering the direct result of failure to obey God. Christ exists to save humanity. He offers the promise of paradise. He is the shepherd of lost sheep. The Antichrist is the great king who opposes him, who wants humanity to stay trapped in sin and suffering. This notion is elaborated in the Book of Revelation that speaks of the end of times as a great war– the Apocalypse. This evangelical language is very popular in America. It is how every politician speaks.
    This myth makes no sense to the Chinese or to Indians who subscribe to other kinds of myths, one where the world has no beginning or end, where nature is always greater than culture. Neither Chinese nor Indian myth speaks of saviours, Judgement Day or Apocalypse. The idea of endless progress and growth makes no sense in these ancient worldviews.
    By contrast, the West has always wanted to save the world. Hollywood movies keep repeating the trope– Superman, Batman, Harry Potter, everyone is busy saving the world from evil. It is how the West saw itself when it spread Christianity and later Industrialization. This is how colonization and slavery was justified. Globalization was also meant to save the world. As was cryptocurrency. Now AI is the new Jesus.
    Thiel’s argument reveals the engineering obsession of seeing everything as a problem and seeking the final solution. Western myth always ends with tales of great wars: Apocalypse. Hence the finality in Thiel’s declaration that the Antichrist wants to stop all science, slow or control AI, biotechnology, and other transformative tools of the 21st century. In his mind, today’s climate activists and global regulators echo the biblical warnings of false saviours who promise safety in exchange for obedience. For years, he’s warned about technological stagnation –his famous line, “We wanted flying cars, instead we got 140 characters,” became a rallying cry for those who feel innovation has been suffocated by bureaucracy. Now, he’s dressing that grievance in religious robes. The danger for him is not runaway technology, but runaway bureaucracy.
    Thiel’s political philosophy valorises individual freedom. His Christ has nothing to do with love. It has everything to do with efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. Like most materialists, he believes food takes away hunger. He does not wonder why his success has not made him content. The world is as bad, or worse, as it was before he existed. He does not see his own addiction to wealth, power, and control. He is oblivious of his own delusion. Like most technocrats, he is very smart, but not wise. Wisdom demands perspective and empathy. Thiel’s way of thinking reveals what happens when science rips out the study of culture and mocks it as stories, when success makes you think you are indispensable. These are core Buddhist and Jain ideas that are at odds with Christian myth.
Thiel’s Antichrist may seem like a mirror held up to our anxieties about the future: who will control it, and at what cost. But he is no different from the ‘woke’ who until recently accused all those restraining them as being ‘fascist’ and relished in ‘cancel culture’
Thiel’s words can be used against him. That he is the clever Antichrist who seeks to enslave humanity with his tools and technology, determining who must live, who must die, who has the IQ worthy of being insured. He forgets that technology cannot regulate emotions. Technology does not resolve human insecurity. Technology will never make the world predictable, for someone will always disrupt old technology with new technology. Every technocrat wants to play God and views his competitors and opponents, and his tax-collector, as the Antichrist.
Ultimately, Thiel’s language reminds us that despite science and technology, despite billions in the bank, no humans can ever escape the myth that shapes the way they see the world.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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When Darkness became vision as published in The Assam Tribune

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Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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24/10/25 Death of the donkey

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Its drastically cut population shows we are inhumanly unthankful for millennia of service

If it were happening to humans, you would call it genocide. The latest available census data for Madhya Pradesh shows that it’s left with only 3052 donkeys, an awful 94% decline since 1997. This ‘animalcide’, however, is not limited to one state or country. Read the TOI 24/10/25 editorial.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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11/10/25 Know Eternal Rumi

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KNOW ETERNAL RUMI
11/10/25 Times of India
The poet suggests that love and compassion should transcend religious boundaries, promoting a vision of inclusiveness that is particularly vital in today’s divided world, writes SUMIT PAUL


    Persian mystic and poet Jalaluddin Rumi needs no elaborate introduction as the very name is enough to evoke a deep sense of respect and reverence. He was born in Balkh in Northern Afghanistan and shuffled off this mortal coil in Konya (Turkey). However, his influence extends far beyond geographical boundaries and the realm of poetry. His teachings have had a profound impact on various aspects of contemporary culture, including music, literature, and spirituality. His timeless wisdom continues to resonate with people from all walks of life, crossing religious, cultural, and linguistic boundaries. Rumi’s popularity in the west has surged in recent decades, with his works translated into multiple languages. His profound messages of love, unity, and self-discovery have made him one of the most widely read and revered poets in the world. His writings serve as a bridge between different faiths and cultures, emphasising the universal message of love and the pursuit of enlightenment. Rumi’s words invite readers to embark on a transformative journey, where love and divine union are ultimate destinations. Many of his sublime thoughts transport us to the realms of love, beauty, enlightenment and introspection. For example, The Essential Rumi, chapter 12, includes: “A sufi’s book is not composed of ink and the alphabet. A scholar loves, and lives on, the marks of a pen. A sufi loves footprints!”
    Rumi contrasts an intellectual approach to spirituality with an experiential path taken by the Sufis. While scholars rely on written knowledge, Sufis derive wisdom from lived experiences and traces left by those who walked the spiritual path before them. This reflects a belief in the transformative power of direct experience over mere study. This also shows the humility and absence of a burning desire to flaunt one’s name and fame. Rumi didn’t write his poetry while living in an ivory tower. His poetry was poetry of self-experiences. Rumi’s repertoire is based on the philosophy of self-effacement. We all have encumbered the earth, thanks to our wretched existence. In a brief life, man leaves no stone unturned, to leave a mark behind; a legacy for posterity. There’s always a burning desire in every individual to make his presence felt. While the desire to be remembered is innate in every individual, the wish to efface oneself from the big slate of the world is also there, albeit in very few individuals. Only the fully evolved and enlightened human beings don’t wish to be liabilities to earth and others.
    Despite differences in beliefs and practices, Rumi sees the underlying essence of spirituality that connects all faiths. He suggests that love and compassion should transcend religious boundaries, promoting a vision of inclusiveness that is particularly vital in today’s divided world. He uses roses as metaphors to explain that the Divine love is just like the sun emitting, light and energy to a branching rosebush that grows elegantly on many levels and within several worlds– all at once. Just as a rosebush branches out, so too knowledge, offering different perspectives and insights. It evokes the idea that spiritual understanding can flourish through embracing diversity and appreciating multiple paths.
    We need to imbibe the universal spirit of Rumi and assimilate it into the collective consciousness of humanity. We’ve been sparring over petty things and differences without realising the power of love. Rumi says gamble everything for love, if you’re a true human being. If not, leave this gathering, emphasising the transformative nature of love and necessity of commitment and courage in seeking true connection.
He advocates for risking everything in pursuit of love, suggesting that half-hearted attempts will yield shallow results. It serves as a reminder that authentic love requires boldness and sincerity. We all want this bold and intrepid love to connect with each other and unite in a single thread and a solitary breath, for your task is not to seek love, but merely to seek and find all barriers within yourself that you have built against it. So, let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you truly love. For Rumi, glue of love is the strongest glue.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

***

BOOK REVIEW: ARISTOTLE’S POETICS: A Foundational Text in Literary Criticism

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Aristotle’s Poetics, written in the 4th century BCE, is one of the earliest and most influential works of literary theory in the Western tradition. Though originally part of a larger body of work, only the section concerning tragedy has survived in full, while other parts, especially those dealing with comedy and epic poetry, are largely lost or only referenced in later writings. Despite its incomplete nature, Poetics has had a profound and lasting impact on how literature, particularly drama, is analysed and understood.

At its core, Poetics is Aristotle’s attempt to systematically explain the principles of dramatic art, with a specific focus on tragedy. Drawing from earlier Greek drama and the works of playwrights like Sophocles and Euripides, Aristotle establishes a framework for evaluating and constructing effective tragedies. His method is analytic and empirical: he studies successful tragedies to derive general principles, rather than constructing abstract theories without reference to practice.

One of the central concepts introduced in Poetics is mimesis, often translated as “imitation.” Aristotle asserts that all art is essentially an imitation of life, but this imitation is not mere copying. Instead, it represents a process of distillation and representation through which the artist conveys universal truths. In tragedy, mimesis takes the form of portraying serious and complete actions that evoke specific emotional responses from the audience.

Aristotle identifies six essential elements of tragedy: plot (mythos), character (ethos), thought (dianoia), diction (lexis), melody (melos), and spectacle (opsis). Among these, he places the highest importance on plot, defining it as “the soul of tragedy.” For Aristotle, a good plot must have unity, meaning all its parts contribute to a single, coherent whole. It should also possess a beginning, middle, and end, adhering to a logical and chronological sequence of events.

A key feature of an effective plot, according to Aristotle, is peripeteia (reversal) and anagnorisis (recognition). Peripeteia is a sudden reversal of fortune for the protagonist, often from good to bad, while anagnorisis is the moment of critical discovery or recognition, particularly of a character’s true identity or situation. These elements are central to achieving the emotional effect that Aristotle sees as the primary goal of tragedy: catharsis.

Catharsis, one of the most debated concepts in Poetics, refers to the purging or purification of the emotions of pity and fear that tragedy is meant to elicit. While scholars disagree on whether Aristotle meant catharsis as a psychological cleansing or a moral-ethical clarification, it is clear that he viewed the emotional experience of the audience as essential to the function of tragedy. By experiencing intense emotions in a controlled environment, the audience gains insight, self-awareness, and emotional balance.

Character is the second most important element after plot. Aristotle emphasizes that characters should be “good,” “appropriate,” “lifelike,” and “consistent.” However, he makes it clear that character is subordinate to plot: it is not the portrayal of character that makes a tragedy powerful, but how the characters serve the unfolding of the action. The protagonist of a tragedy is typically a person of noble status who possesses a tragic flaw or hamartia—a mistake or error in judgment—that leads to their downfall. This flaw is not necessarily a moral failing, but rather a misstep that triggers a chain of events ending in catastrophe.

Aristotle contrasts tragedy with epic poetry, noting that while both share many elements, tragedy is more concentrated and immediate. Epic poetry, exemplified by Homer’s works, can encompass many stories and span long periods of time. Tragedy, by contrast, confines itself to a single plotline and typically takes place within the span of a single day. This concentration, Aristotle argues, gives tragedy a greater intensity and impact.

Though Poetics focuses almost entirely on tragedy, it laid the groundwork for centuries of literary criticism and theory. The Renaissance saw a revival of Aristotelian principles in the dramatic unities of time, place, and action, which were extrapolated from his emphasis on unity of plot. Later thinkers, including German philosophers like Hegel and Nietzsche, further developed Aristotelian ideas, while modern theorists have both built upon and challenged his assertions.

Critics of Poetics have pointed out its limitations, especially its narrow focus on a particular type of Greek tragedy. Aristotle privileges structure and form over thematic depth or emotional complexity in character, which contrasts with later literary traditions that emphasise character development or social commentary. Moreover, his prescriptions for drama may seem rigid when applied to diverse literary forms across cultures and time periods.

Nevertheless, the enduring influence of Poetics lies in its pioneering effort to systematize literary analysis. Aristotle’s emphasis on structure, causality, and emotional effect continues to inform the way stories are told and understood, not only in literature but also in film, theater, and even narrative psychology.

In conclusion, Poetics represents a milestone in the study of literature. Aristotle’s dissection of tragedy into its constituent elements and his articulation of how and why it works remain relevant to this day. While the specifics of dramatic form have evolved, the core questions Aristotle raised—about the nature of art, the function of narrative, and the emotional impact of storytelling—continue to resonate in contemporary discourse.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

***