The Figurative Language: I.A. Richards

Hello readers...

This blog is the part of my classroom work.

In this blog I would like to interrupt one gujarati folk song by famous gujarati writer Shri Zaverchand Meghani. I try to interpret this poem through the figurative language which is given by I.A.Richards.

First we throw some light on the what is figurative language:-

Full name: Ivor Armstrong Richards

• Born: 26, Feb, 1893,

• Place: Sandbach, England.

• Died: 7, Sep, 1979, Cambridgeshire.

• Writings: Practical Criticism 1929.

                      The Meaning of Meaning 1923,

                     Principles of Literary Criticism 1924.

            I.A.Richards says a poet writes to communicate, and language is the means of that communication. Language is made of words, and hence a study of words is all important if we have to understand the meaning of a work of art.

He gives figurative language:-

Four misunderstanding of language :

(i) Misunderstanding of the sense of poetry: Careless, intuitive reading (rhyme or irregular syntax).

(ii) Over-liter reading – prosaic reading.

(iii) Defective scholarship.

(ix) Difference in meaning of words in poetry and prose.

 words and words carry four kinds of meaning:

He gave new path to literary criticism. In his methodology, a lot of importance is given to the words. He believed that poet writes to communicate and language is the means of that communication. Language is made of

•.Sense : The items referred by a writer.

• Feelings : Feeling refers to emotions. Emotional attitude, will, attitude, desire, pleasure, displeasure.

• Tone: Tone is writers attitude to his readers or audience.

• Intention : It is writers aim which may be conscious or unconscious. It refresh to the effect that he tries to produced.

He give a two use of Language

1. Scientific use

2. Emotive use

Now In this blog I try to look  the one gujarati folk song "કંસુબી નો રંગ" by ઝવેરચંદ મેઘાણી the perspective of figurative language.

Here is original poem:-

લાગ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ –

રાજ, મને લાગ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ !

જનનીના હૈયામાં પોઢંતા પોઢંતા પીધો કસુંબીનો રંગ;

ધોળાં ધાવણ કેરી ધારાએ ધારાએ પામ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ… રાજ..

બહેનીને કંઠે નીતરતાં હાલરડાંમાં ઘોળ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ

ભીષણ રાત્રિ કેરા પહાડોની ત્રાડોએ ચોળ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ… રાજ..

દુનિયાના વીરોનાં લીલાં બલિદાનોમાં ભભક્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ

સાગરને પારે સ્વાધીનતાની કબરોમાં મહેક્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ… રાજ..

ભક્તોના તંબૂરથી ટપકેલો મસ્તીભર ચાખ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ

વહાલી દિલદારાના પગની મેંદી પરથી ચૂમ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ… રાજ..

નવલી દુનિયા કેરા સ્વપ્નોમાં કવિઓએ ગાયો કસુંબીનો રંગ

મુક્તિને ક્યારે નિજ રક્તો રેડણહારે પાયો કસુંબીનો રંગ… રાજ..

પીડિતની આંસુડાધારે – હાહાકારે રેલ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ

શહીદોના ધગઘગતા નિ:શ્વાસે નિ:શ્વાસે સળગ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ … રાજ..

ધરતીનાં ભૂખ્યાં કંગાલોને ગાલે છલકાયો કસુંબીનો રંગ

બિસ્મિલ બેટાંઓની માતાને ભાલે મલકાયો કસુંબીનો રંગ … રાજ ..

ઘોળી ઘોળી પ્યાલાં ભરિયા : રંગીલા હો! પીજો કસુંબીનો રંગ

દોરંગા દેખીને ડરિયાં : ટેકીલાં હો! લેજો કસુંબીનો રંગ … રાજ ..

રાજ, મને લાગ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ –

લાગ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ !

 In this poem Meghani giving a true feel of the culture and values of culture of kutch, saurastra and gujarat. I find that each and every line has a deep meaning in this poems. Here poet represent the our culture through the one flower or say one word કસુંબી.

The word કસુંબી (pronounced kasumbi) is used to represent the colour orange-red. It’s a flower that was used for dye. However, the freedom fighter Jhaverchand Meghani uses it as an extended metaphor for it also relates to the hue of opium that is regarded as an ‘elixir of life’. This hue represents to many the colour of life with all feelings poured into it.The colour represents more than one thing- it shows spirituality (the colour of priests), the beauty of nature, blood, hope, love, death and courage (the colour of the rajput soldiers). 

In this poem we see that poet used many metaphors. And through the one colour of kansubi he tries to show the our cultures various types of colours.

He used many symbols to represent the cultures like:- મહેંદી,હાલરડાં,તંબુર,etc...

Each and every line show the importance of kansubi.

In first line we see that poet says that on childhood they get this colour.he says that they had a bravery from his mother.

He compare that which place he find the bravery and how at the time of war he used this.

In second stanza he compare the two things that sister's  Lullaby and mountain. 

This is poem is talk about that how to rajput soldiers are brave and they won the war with big bravery.

We see that they are cultivated from the childhood and they became brave. Here we say that life is all about Kansubi colour. They drink kansubi from childhood means from the childhood they learnt one thing that always become brave. This poem encourage the Rajputana soldiers. In first time I find some difficulty to understand this poem, because each and every line has very high level gujrati words used by poet and thier meaniy are also difficult.

 So here is my interpretation about this poem.

Thank you....