If I was a Tree Summary

Introduction

Mudnakudu is a popular Kannada poet. Poetry is his passion. He has also written several works in other genre of literature. His interests range from culture and theatre to social work. He is widely translated into many Indian languages apart from English, Spanish and Hebrew.

Translator

‘If I was a Tree’ is a translation by Rowena Hill. She has translated several literary works in Indian languages into English and Spanish.

Synopsis

‘If I was a Tree’ exposes the complex evil caste system in Indian society. The poet wishes that he would be happy born as a tree instead of a human, for mankind practices even now this inhuman discrimination based on caste. In contrast, the poet finds recourse with nature which he thinks does not discriminate against any creature of size, colour, gender or habitat. Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy wished to be a tree because unlike a human born into a low caste family, a tree does not face any discrimination or an act of defilement.

Theme

Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy vents out his sufferings, disappointments, angst and frustrations through his poem, ‘If I was a Tree.’ He protests against this cruel social system. The caste system has troubled fellow humans by separating them and creating barriers for centuries. Living in today’s world education empowers us. The constitution forbids any one from practising discrimination based on caste. Nevertheless, the complex network of politics, bureaucracy and stereotyped mindsets seldom allows us to eradicate it completely.

The poet wanted to be born a tree as the tree wouldn’t be asked what caste it belonged before it built its nest. When the sunlight embraced the tree, the shadow wouldn’t feel defiled. Nature would accept without any discrimination. The tree’s friendship with the cool breeze and the leaves would be sweet.

The raindrops wouldn’t withdraw taking him for a dog-eater which is a very bad treatment to a fellow human. The mother earth wouldn’t flee shouting for a bath when the tree spread its branches.

He ironically says that the sacred cow would scrape her body on the bark of the tree. Thousands of gods sheltering inside her body would touch the tree without any hesitation.

The poet hopes that a tree hacked into pieces of dry wood will still be pure burning in the holy pyre. So, as a tree, he can still become pure. Or as pieces of wood he would do a sacred job of carrying a sinless body as a bier borne by four good men.

Conclusion

The poem brings out the concepts of defilement and purification through the imagery of tree and the holy cow. The poem is satirical of inhuman caste system. It attempts to convey that defilement and purification are unethical and prejudiced. The poem concludes stressing that if nature makes no discrimination, there shall be no such practice in human society too. All are equally blessed with rights and privileges.

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