ammera Pothanamatya or Pothana for short, is an immortal name in the rich heritage of Telugu literature. He is the first ever poet to attempt writing Sreemadbhagavatham in Telugu. The most striking quality of Pothana was that he is an unflinching devotee of God. He surrendered himself completely to God Almighty in the form of Sree Rama. Pothana always believed that it was not he who was composing the great epic. Lord Rama was making him compose it. Even though he was engaged in the spiritual and intellectual task of writing a great Kavya(EpicPoem),heinsistedonremainingapoorpeasantworking on his fields to meet the worldly needs of his family.
In those times, it was the practice to dedicate literary compositions to the aristocratic rulers who were drunk with pride of wealth and power. They would stoop to any low level to boost their temporal power and wealth. A poet who dedicated his literary work to one of such rulers would be honoured with great gifts and then he would be assured of a luxurious life. Pressure was exerted on Pothana to dedicate his Sreemadbhagavathamto a rich ruler. The Goddess of muse, Saraswati is said to have cried in front of him asking him if he was going to barter away his ‘literary daughter’. He replied that under no circumstances he would give her away to low people in exchange of material wealth. He preferred to be poor.
There is a popular story about his extreme devotion to God.While composing Gajendramoksham Pothana is said to have got struck at a particular line. However hard he tried, he could not proceed further. In order to divert himself, he visited his fields and engaged himself in manual work there. While at work, he got the idea to complete the rest of the verse. Elated, he returned home to put his lines on the Talapathra. Lo! He found the exact lines already there. He called his daughter to him and asked her if she had written the lines. Surprised at his question, his daughter replied that just a while
One night I had a dream
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with God And across the sky flashed scenes from my life.
From each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One belonged to me, the other to God.
When the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that many times along the path of life
There was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very
Lowest and saddest times in my life.
This reality bothered me and I questioned God about it. “God, You said that once I decided to follow You, You Would walk with me all the way, but I noticed that During the most troublesome time in my life,
There is only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why in
Times I needed You most, You would leave me.”
God replied, “ My precious, precious child, I love you And I would never, never leave you
During your times of trials and suffering
When you see only one set of footprints,
It was then I carried you.”
ago he himself had come, sat at his writing desk for some time and gone out. Then Pothana realized that Lord Rama Himself had come in his guise and helped him while he was in distress.
Gerard Manley Hopkins or G.M Hopkins is a unique name in the entire gamut of the poets of English literature. Being an astute Roman Catholic priest, he considered it a sin to seek earthly fame by having his literary compositions published. He could not resist the urge to record the poetic thoughts that occurred to him. Thereby, he wrote quite prolifically and produced exquisite poetry all in praise of the Lord in the Roman Catholic tradition. No one else knew at that time that he was a poet!.
Hopkins used to write letters to a friend of his, Robert Bridges who himself was a poet of great acclaim. Going through his letters Bridges, felt strongly that Hopkins must be a great poet, to use such fertile poetic expressions even in ordinary letters. After the death of Hopkins, Robert Bridges traced out his poems. It was thirty years after hisdeath, thatthefirstevervolumeofpoemswrittenbyHopkinswas published, thanks to the efforts of Robert Bridges, his friend.
G.M. Hopkins soon became a widely appreciated poet. Posthumously he started a new genre of English Poetry.He is known for his coinage of new words such as ‘leaf meal’(like piecemeal) and creating striking poetic images through them. His poems are of a very complex nature because they contain a highly complicated thought process and highly innovative ways of expression.
In Spring and Fall he describes a girl Margaret watching a mango grove shedding its leaves. - 'Margaret thou art grieving over the goldengrove unleaving'. Finally he concludes that she is grieving the loss of her own energies which is but a natural and inevitable phenomenon.
In the most celebrated poem The Wreck of the Deutschland, he describes a Titanic kind of situation in which a Fransiscan nun while drowning thinks of Jesus Christ and prays to him. Hopkins portrays the situation as the Christ being conceived by a maid a second time. What an exquisite poetic imagery!.