Interpretation of “Soft Storm” by Abhi Subedi
Abhi Subedi's ‘Soft Strom’ portrays different occasions when the speaker grows soft (Compassionate) for the victims of the social anarchy and how these circumstances change this soft compassion into a storm that makes him a rebel. On the surface level, it depicts the journey of the speaker through the streets of Kathmandu city where he observes different scenes with the underprivileged people being oppressed and victimized by the people in power.
In the first stanza, the speaker says that he grew soft when he heard a tumult aroused from the uproar of people that is silenced by the authority resulting in a strange and frightening stillness. He said he got this compassion when the voices of hope and justice reached a maximum height (Crocuses becoming five inches taller) that threatened the authority (moon) and it made them come to the rebels and manipulated them with their political language suppressing the rebellion. The authority sang of the oppressed and underprivileged and depicted the city as a seamless place. However, it was just a fake promise and manipulation to calm the rebellion. It made the speaker leave his principle and his softness rose like a storm.
In the second stanza, the speaker says he became soft when he witnessed homeless children in Thamel crying in hunger under the bat-bearing trees of Keshermahal. This softness further increased when he returned from this disorderly place where the authority tried to suppress the struggle of people. He presents these struggles to be “the unwedded gardens of history” which are not included in mainstream history; however, they come out from different sources like the protruded rocks.
In the third stanza, when the speaker alone came in support of the victims and expressed his criticism of the perpetrators, he became compassionate for the downtrodden. Likewise, when he saw an abandoned child- a victim of a violent history- crying for his mother, he couldn’t help but be compassionate for him. Similarly, he saw a man beaten mercilessly for no reason before his family by some unknown perpetrators which made him more compassionate.
In the fourth stanza, the speaker describes through a synecdoche how he saw a man with a blood-stained shirt and bruised lips trying to express his pain but his words are suppressed as if they are playing hide and seek in open museums of human times (The history that is presented to human society). This scene contributed to his compassion too.
In the fifth stanza, the speaker claims that he became soft when the authority made promises to people but did not listen to their complaints; they forced them to create rebellion among the oppressed but didn’t think of its outcome over the people in power (Silent stones) who remain silent over the social anarchies.
In the sixth stanza, the speaker says that crocuses have grown over the stone meaning the voices of rebellion (Crocuses have grown) have been raised over the oppressive authority (stone). People who appear as storms have participated in the revolt in the narrow streets of the city where the speaker too has walked in a sad and serious manner. However, this revolt has risen for a moment but it has disappeared due to the suppression like a rainbow. As a result, the speaker’s compassion turns into rebelliousness that rages over silent history (pages), silent stones (authority), silent victims (silent forlorn shirts), lawlessness (dilapidations of gods’ abodes), and the situation where happiness is buried among the fake hopes (divine debris).
In the seventh stanza, the speaker admires the people with mooneyes (inflammation in eyes) for seeing him as soft; however, he admits that his softness has turned into a storm due to the mad time (the time with full of social anarchy, inequality, and injustice). The authority (stone) growing in flower (hope of people), the moon (people in power) making fake promises (melodies), the hidden history of common people, corrupted place, anarchists supporting bizarre journeys, a promising future(rhododendron) apparent in difficult time, and the voice of people all at once accompanied the rage of the speaker.
In the last stanza, the speaker explains how his rage (storm) remains soft for the unprivileged people. He is outrageous for all the social anarchy. But even in this difficult time, the speaker wants to remain compassionate (melt like a rainbow) for the oppressed people. He wants to accompany them even in their limited social opportunities (minuscule sky) and support them in their difficult time (uneasy lake).
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