Repairing poetry: can a poet repair through poetry?
The repair of poetry: is this the duty of a poet to rectify through poetry?
Poetry gives an ideal world that eliminates the defects of the world of facts, since the ideal presents a perfect image of the imperfect world. By rectification we mean satisfaction, compensation for damage suffered or our loss against the result of getting back upright. This is the dictionary definition of rectify.
The word ‘rectify’ means repair, restoration, rectify something that is wrong. The subject that Seamus Heany dealt with in ‘The Repair of Poetry’ is not new. The nature and purpose of poetry has been a topic of practical importance to all those interested in poetry.
By rectifying, Heany means correcting something that is unfair or wrong. It also means comfort, compensation, improvement or reassurance. So, the rectification of poetry means eliminating or correcting the erroneous notions that exist in the prevailing world. The question of the rectification of poetry contains whether poetry is of any use, whether it gives man confidence, whether it gives some security or not, whether it is an aesthetic work or a pragmatic work.
Having defined the meaning of rectification, I will now discuss whether a poet can rectify through poetry. Is it your duty to rectify through poetry?
In my opinion, a poet is an important part of a nation who can not only rectify through poetry, but can also restore the pride of a nation, can rectify wrongdoing, and can also amend the state of a nation. In support of my notions I would like to place the example of Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal, entitled as ‘the poet from the East’. Not only did he re-dress himself through his poetry, but he also blazed a trail toward tranquility and improvement, restoration, and rejuvenation of a fading nation.
Poetry is not just the words to define the physical appearance of the loved one, or to explain the facial expressions of a beauty that you meet in your daily life and fall in love at first sight. Poetry is the voice of the deepest part of one. It is not limited or should not be limited to simply defining the traits of the beloved or one’s feelings towards the beloved or simply making a confession of infatuation.
Poetry has a vast canvas to cover, to paint a picture of the wide and limitless world. It deserves the explanations of the fate of humanity, the fate of humans, and it can also open a path in how a human being can become a human being.
Allama Iqbal’s poetry instills the spirit and feelings of restoration of decay. Allama Iqbal’s poetry redesigned in a way that levitated a nation from inhibition to freedom.
That said, I am very sure that a poet can rectify through poetry, what he needs is to perform his duties and put the divine thoughts of poetry on the right path to rectify them through poetry.