Background of poem

The poems "soft storm" by Abhi subedi- a prominent Nepali literary figure makes the use of anomalous
expressions to make the poem more appealing and to convey the desired message indirectly.Through
this poem, the poet contemplates the absurdities and injustices occurring in the tumultuous times of the
present society with the touch of compassion.

Pharaphrase of poem

The poem "softstorm" by Abhi Subedi expresses the absurdities of tumultuous times with a touch of
compassion.The writer in the poem presents the different occasions when the speaker of the poem
grows soft. The speaker states that he becomes soft when he hears the tumult and crashing on the
strange stillness and when the sky grows like flowers over stones and when the moon skids down the
walls.Likewise, the speaker also becomes soft as the softness rose like a storm tearing the speaker´s
roofs and when the moon sing of lamppost and gutters.

Likewise, the speaker maintains that he becomes soft when homeless children in Thamel cry with
hunger and when the speaker returned from the Melee where the ceremony dance with mad steps on
the unwedded gardens of history.In the similar vein,the speaker says that he becomes soft when he
alone turns to leave deep dents of words on the white sheets and when he sees a forlorn child crying a
transistor radio around his neck and running waling to find his mother in the corridor of violent history.

Similarly,In the next stanza, speaker speaks on inhumane behaviour and mentions his softness.He
mention he becomes soft when he sees a man beaten mercilessly without any reason and in no sensible
time before his family. The poet also become soft when a blood stained shirt speaks in the earth's ear
with bruised human lips in open museums under the moon of humans times.Also, the speaker became
soft when one gives word but does not listen to them.Further, the speaker in the poem in poetic
language maintains that shof in his storm that ranges and Ranges over silent pages and when the
speakers sees the decay of culture values and believes, it also makes his soft.

However, in the second last stanza the port makes the concerned authorities cautions stating that
though everything may seem soft and fine now,it may not be so forever. the speaker further warns
them that the time may not go the same and mad time (Revolution) can arise as any time and all know
that the revolution itself is not a small thing but it arises from small things.

In the final stanza,the poem takes an incredible turning. Though the speaker seems to be a revolutionary
in early stanzas, however here the speaker states that he is not going to initiate any revolution soon
since he wants to melt like a rainbow and dance even in hard time.However,the speaker through the
poem "softstorm" has left clear but implicit message that if the chaos and problems of people in the
society are not addressed soon, then there can arises great revolution anytime soon.

Main theme

"Softstorm" by Abhi Subedi is a poem that beautifully makes use of anomalous expressions in the
poem. The poem implicitly expresses the struggles,hardships and exploitation in the society to the
poor marginalized and oppressed group and also warns the concerned authorities that if such types of
exploitation continue, then there can occur a great revolution at any time of the history

Answer the following questions

a. When does the speaker grow soft? Enlist the occasions when he grows soft.

- The occasions when the speaker grows soft are presented below:

-after he hears the tumult and crash on the eerie stillness

-when the sky grows like crocuses over stones and become 5 inches taller

-when the moon sings of lampposts and gutters in the seamless city

-when the homeless children cry with hunger

- when the speaker returns from the Melee

-when the words leave deep dents on the white sheets.

b.What do you understand by ‘this seamless city’?

-The phrase "this seamless city" in the poem refers to the perfect and quiet City.However the poem
presents these phrase in the poem as irony and it has an implicit meaning in the poem that the city is
not a seamless,rather it is full of chaos and disorders.

c.Describe the poor children potrayed in the poem?

-The poor children in the poem are expressed as homeless who cry with hunger on the bat bearing trees
of Kesar Mahal.

d.What do you understand by ‘the unwedded gardens of history’?

-The phase "The unwedded Gardens of history" refers to the dark and ignored parts of the history (or
even the present time) to which none has given adequate attention.

e. Why was the forlorn child wailing?

-The forlorn child was wailing because he had lost his mother and he has been running wailing in order
to find his mother.

f. What do you understand by ‘soft storm’?

The phrase "soft storm" has implicit meaning in the poem.The poet refers to "soft storm" as a type of
revolution where there is awareness rather than violence.

g. Why does the speaker call our time ‘mad time’?

The speaker calls our time "a mad time"because in this time people do not tolerate discrimination and
oppression and can be violent and brutal in order to cope up with the oppression.

h. What does the speaker want to do in “hard times”

The speaker wants to melt like a rainbow in the"hard times". This means that though he is not satisfied
with the current situation, he does not want to make any quick revolution and be aggressive at the
current time.