critical appreciation of The void

Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh is one of the most influential and groundbreaking poets in Hindi literature, and many of his
works have been translated into English. The Void is one such work that talks about the horror, destruction, and violence that
result from extreme self-absorption and a sense of meaninglessness in life. His poetry is experimental and deeply
speculative. There is a complex interplay of reality and fantasy in his poems through the use of surrealist images that
juxtapose several levels of existence. These images powerfully evoke a mysterious strangeness and a sense of horror to
dramatize the psychological turbulence of the protagonist. In his perceptive essay, Ideological Content of Muktibodh’s
Poetry, he writes, "Like all great philosophers and creative writers, he explores and reveals reality with his own social
vision."

Muktibodh uses the concept of the void as negativism, which penetrates violence and destruction. The Void is a metaphor for
the violence, cruelty, and corruption that have overtaken the common man. The poet uses surreal imagery to indict the
corrupt and violent forces raising their heads in modern society. The void inside us has "jaws" and the jaws have
"carnivorous" teeth. Here a cannibalistic image is presented to us. The void is personified and said to have jaws that are
capable of eating us and the people around us. It also implies that the growing darkness and emptiness of the world is so
rapid that it can engulf the goodness in us and the people around us. Further, the poet continues to say that the "dearth" in us
is the primary nature of people. And that void is always angry. " Inside the jaws of the void, there is a pool of blood. The use
of "barbaric" and "disowned, debased" signifies the state of utter destruction and chaos brought by the growing emptiness of
the modern world. The modern world is defined by its fragmented nature, where people lack morals, values, and virtues.
People are completely "self-absorbed".

Next, we observe a sudden shift. In the tone of the poem here, the poet enters the narrative through the use of "I." This
shows that the "void" has also affected not only the people but also the poet. Here we are presented with the image of the
growing emptiness as a seed being sown. The poet spreads the same sense of emptiness and negativity to the people he
comes across. There are two paradoxical ideas presented here. First, the void is presented as a fertile land that breeds
"carnivorous teeth" and tools like "saws, daggers, and sickles." Here, we see the idea of a void, which signifies emptiness
and wasteland. But this wasteland, ironically, becomes a fertile piece of land to spread more hate and disconnection. The
second image is of death "giving birth" to "brand new children". There is jubilation and dancing as death breeds more
darkness, chaos, and destruction. Death means the end of life. However, the growing state of anarchy is highlighted by death
giving birth. It also shows that the future is bleak and this feeling of "the void" will also be handed down to future
generations. We see the teeth of the saw around us and "heavily armed mistakes". People are completely engulfed by the
emptiness and the loss of faith causes them to take drastic steps that cause further war. In the last part of the poem, we see
that the "world" has been personified. The world looks at the people and the state of anarchy but chooses to walk away. The
image of the world walking away "rubbing its hand" makes the world appear like a scheming person. It's as if the world
derives sadistic pleasure from seeing people in a state of chaos.

By the end of the poem, we learn that the void has amassed violence. The use of strong diction helps to highlight the
harshness of the modern world that the poet is trying to portray. The use of irregular rhyme helps to explore the idea of
fragmentation in the real world. The brutal imagery given by the poet to show the ‘godless’ modern world is similar to the
echoes of chaos and destruction in Yeat’s The Second Coming. But the poet stands mute and helpless as he watches and
experiences, like everyone else, the cruelties and inequalities of life. The void is not emptiness; it is stubbed with corruption
and violence. The void is frighteningly aggressive and always demands its domain of blood and violence. This state of
violence dehumanizes and debases man and turns him into a beastly creature.