Unit I: Poetry
The Voice of the Mountain
by Mamang Dai
Prescribed reading for English III (Unit I: Poetry). Read the guide before class; finish with the quiz to check your understanding.
Overview
'The Voice of the Mountain' by Mamang Dai voices the unheard words of the mountain, the guardian spirit of the land of wonders. The poem delves into the profound wisdom and timeless perspective of a mountain, which observes the world from a lofty vantage point, witnessing the passage of time, the flow of life, and the changing seasons. The speaker, embodying the voice of the mountain, explores themes of interconnectedness, the cyclical nature of existence, the power of language and symbols, and the enduring spirit of resilience in the face of impermanence and conflict.
About the Author
Mamang Dai is an Indian poet, novelist, and Journalist based in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. For her contribution to Indian literature, she received Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India, in 2011. Moreover, she received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2017 for her novel 'The Black Hill'. Her work often explores themes of cultural identity, nature, and the interconnectedness of human experience.
Writing style: Her first novel 'The Legends of Pensam' was published in 2006. Some of her famous poetry collections are 'River Poems' (2004), 'The Balm of Time' (2008), 'Hambreelmai's Loom' (2014), and Midsummer Survival Lyrics (2014).
Read
Tap the bolded words for definitions and connotations.
From where I sit on the high platform I can see the ferry lights crossing, criss-crossing the big river. I know the towns, the estuary mouth. There, beyond the last bank where the colour drains from heaven, I can outline the chapters of the world.
The other day a young man arrived from the village. Because he could not speak, he brought a gift of fish from the land of rivers. It seems such acts are repeated: We live in territories forever ancient and new, and as we speak in changing languages.
I, also, leave my spear leaning by the tree and try to make a sign. I am an old man sipping the breeze that is forever young. In my life I have lived many lives. My voice is sea waves and mountain peaks.
In the transfer of symbols, I am the chance syllable that orders the world, instructed with history and miracles. I am the desert and the rain, the wild bird that sits in the west, the past that recreates itself, and particles of life that clutch and cling.
For thousands of years, I know, I know these things, as rocks know, burning in the sun's embrace, about clouds, and sudden rain; as I know a cloud is a cloud is a cloud— a cloud is this uncertain pulse that sits over my heart.
In the end the universe yields nothing except a dream of permanence. Peace is a falsity. A moment of rest comes after long combat.
From the east the warrior returns with the blood of peonies. I am the child who died at the edge of the world, the distance between end and hope.
The star diagram that fell from the sky, the summer that makes men weep. I am the woman lost in translation who survives, with happiness to carry on. I am the breath that opens the mouth of the canyon, the sunlight on the tips of trees; there, where the narrow gorge hastens the wind, I am the place where memory escapes the myth of time, I am the sleep in the mind of the mountain.
Themes
- Interconnectedness
- Cyclical Nature of Existence
- Power of Language and Symbols
- Resilience in the Face of Impermanence
- Connection to Nature
Literary Devices
- Personification
- “The entire poem personifies the mountain, giving it a voice and human-like consciousness.”
- Metaphor
- “The mountain is a metaphor for wisdom, memory, and the enduring spirit of nature. The 'chapters of the world' is a metaphor for rivers or past events.”
Critical Analysis
The poem is structured as a series of observations and reflections, with the speaker shifting between different identities and perspectives. The mountain becomes a symbol of the spirit that guides humanity. Its unstructured form, with irregular stanzas and no specific rhyme scheme, mirrors the organic and unpredictable nature of the world it describes. The poem touches on themes of communication and connection, highlighting the universal human desire for understanding through the story of a young man who brings a gift of fish despite a language barrier. The poem's exploration of impermanence and conflict is particularly poignant; it acknowledges that 'Peace is a falsity' and only a momentary rest from long combat, yet it also emphasizes resilience and the enduring power of hope. The use of imagery is rich and evocative, drawing on natural elements like the desert, rain, and wild birds to convey a sense of awe at the complexity of the world.
Vocabulary
- ferry lights
- Lights on boats that carry people and cars across a river.
- criss-crossing
- Going back and forth across a place, like making an 'X' shape.
- estuary
- The place where a big river meets the sea.
- outline
- To draw or describe the main shape of something.
- chapters
- Parts of a book; here it means parts or periods of the world's story.
- territories
- Areas of land that belong to a country or person.
- ancient
- Very, very old.
- sipping
- Taking small sips, like drinking a little bit at a time.
- breeze
- A gentle wind.
- symbols
- Pictures or objects that represent something else.
- syllable
- A part of a word that has one sound, like 'syl-la-ble' has three syllables.
- instructed
- Taught or given information.
- particles
- Very small pieces of something.
- clutch and cling
- To hold on to something tightly.
- embrace
- A hug; here, the sun is like it's hugging the rocks.
- uncertain pulse
- An unsteady or changing beat, like a heartbeat that is not regular.
- yields
- Gives or produces something.
- permanence
- The state of lasting forever.
- falsity
- Something that is not true.
- combat
- Fighting or battle.
- peonies
- A type of flower with large, beautiful petals.
- warrior
- A brave soldier or fighter.
- diagram
- A drawing or chart that explains something.
- translation
- Changing words from one language to another.
- survives
- To stay alive, especially through a difficult time.
- canyon
- A deep, narrow valley with high sides of rock.
- gorge
- A deep valley, usually with a river running through it.
- hastens
- To make something happen faster.
- myth
- An old story or legend, often about heroes or gods, that may not be true.
- memory escapes
- When a memory is forgotten or slips away.
- platform
- 📍 A raised place or surface to stand or sit on.
- ferry
- ⛴️ A boat that carries people or things across a river or sea.
- colour drains from heaven
- 🌅 The sky becomes colorless or pale, like at sunset.
- leaning
- 🗡️ To rest something against another object.
- pulse
- ❤️ A beat or a soft throbbing feeling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Check Your Understanding
What is the central theme of 'The Voice of the Mountain'?