RESEARCH PAPER RESEARCH REVIEW International Journal of Multidisciplinary

e-ISSN: 2455-3085 | Vol.08 | No.02 | February 2023 | pp. 20-23

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The Apocalyptic Vision in G.M. Muktibodh’s “The Void”

*Nabankur Roy

Assistant Professor, Department of English, Vivekananda College, kolkata-700063, WB, India

Abstract Article Publication

This paper aims to explore how modernism experiences a traumatic change that led Published Online: 15-Feb-2023
many Indian writers to delve into an apocalyptic vision. The prolific Hindi poet,
*Author's Correspondence
essayist, literary and political critic, and fiction writer Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh
(1917-1964) also wrote extensively in other genres. Together with Surya Kant Tripathi Nabankur Roy
"Nirala," he is generally considered to have been a forerunner of contemporary Hindi
poetry in India. He played a crucial role in the development of the 1950s' Nayi Kahani Assistant Professor, Department of
and Nayi Kavita Modernism in Hindi literature. The development of "New Criticism" English, Vivekananda College,
in Indian literature can also be traced back to him. His immense popularity as an kolkata-700063, WB, India
author led to the translation of many of his works into English. The present poem ‘The
Void’ is the translated version of his ‘Shunya’ by Vinay Dharwadker. In this poem, roynabankur[at]gmail.com
he implements different images and symbols to illustrate his apocalyptic view. The use
10.31305/rrijm.2023.v08.n02.004
of melancholic mood emphasizes Muktibodh’s pessimistic vision of humanity. He
depicts the void which exists within every soul as the dark side of our mind which © 2023 The Authors. Published by
enslaves us and devours humanity from within. It is generally a part of our subconscious
RESEARCH REVIEW International
mind where our dark desires flourish. This paper delves deep into Muktibodh’s
Journal of Multidisciplinary. This is an
proposition that the void is destructive and is like a communicable disease that does not
open access article under the CC BY-
only make its prey to an individual but it is a threat to the whole human society which
will lead to apocalypse.
NC-ND license
Keywords: Apocalypse, Experimentalism, Modernism, New Criticism, (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/
by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Prayogvaad
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Introduction

People were enchanted by feelings of emptiness, disappointment, insignificance, and pessimism during the 20th
century. As a result of such widespread pessimism, many works of literature and art have taken on a dystopian tone.
As a matter of fact, this apocalyptic vision can be seen not only in Western literature but also in Indian regional
literature. Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh vindicates his apocalyptic vision in one of his most famous poems, ‘Shunya’.
‘The Void’ is the translated version of his ‘Shunya’ by Vinay Dharwadker. He is one of the most prominent Hindi poets,
essayists, literary and political critics and fiction writers of the 20th century who like T.S. Eliot and other Western
writers was deeply moved by the World Wars and its impact on the society. Together with Surya Kant Tripathi
"Nirala," he is generally considered to have been a forerunner of contemporary Hindi poetry in India. He played a
crucial role in the development of the 1950s' Nayi Kahani and Nayi Kavita Modernism in Hindi literature. It is widely
agreed that he was instrumental in the development of the 'New Criticism’ in Indian literature. His immense
popularity as an author led to the translation of many of his works into English.

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There have been a number of different attempts attempted to talk about the topic of the apocalypse and its place in
literature. The word "apocalyptic" comes from the Greek word "apocalypse," which means "to disclose." The book
that is considered to be the final book of the New Testament is called "The Revelation of St. John." The term
"apocalyptic" comes from this word. This type of writing may be classified as prophetic or quasi-prophetic, and it has
a propensity to offer gloomy and pessimistic forecasts on the future of humanity as well as images of the world that
are fraught with danger (Cuddon, 1999: 48). Some critics hold the view that there are some Abrahamic religious
works which herald the apocalypse genre. According to the Advanced Oxford Learners Dictionary, Apocalypse means
the destruction of the world. “Apocalypse also refers to a particular worldview which pictures the world as being full
of signs of the end, and as waiting for the final cataclysm” (Boer, 2009: 34-35). Apocalypse, according to the
definitions of some other scholars, is a type of prophetic literature that strives to reveal the truth about the past, as
well as the present and the future, using highly symbolic and lyrical language. In the context of religion, apocalyptic
exhortations provide their followers with assurances of rewards and punishments in the "end times" that are about
to come. “The apocalyptic thought, however, does not remain confined to the realm of religion; it expands to cover
a more general phenomenon that is concerned with fear of a definite catastrophe that will end the world” (Sultan,
2013:2-3). “Apocalypse are usually taken from a context of oppression, persecution, disillusionment and
hopelessness. Among the themes of apocalyptic literature: a cosmic catastrophe, a movement from an old to new
age, a struggle between forces of good and evil, a desire for an ultimate paradise, characters in spiritual turmoil, a
crisis situation, a sense of hope and signs of end-time” (Leigh, 2008:5). All of Muktibodh's ideological publications
make it clear that he was essentially a Marxist writer, thus any attempt to cast doubt on this point by pointing out
the various layers in his poetry should be seen as malicious. Yet, it would be unfair to his broad perspective, which
touches on more complex problems of modern reality, to confine him simply to Marxist frameworks. In truth, he is
extremely near to existentialism in his inward inquiries, his delving into the abyss of man's soul, and his troubled
vision. His works are also infused with the knowledge of historical, economic and social happenings around him which
makes them even more powerful and resonating.

Muktibodh’s “The Void”

The poem “Shunya” was first published in G.M. Muktibodh’s collection, “Chand ka Munh Terha Hai” (The Face of the
Moon is Crooked) in 1964. The present poem ‘The Void’ is the translated version of ‘Shunya’ by Vinay Dharwadker.
In the poem, The Void, the poet begins the poem by giving a pictorial presentation of the void that lies within every
human being. He personifies the void as a wild beast having ‘jaws’ which have ‘carnivorous teeth’. The word
‘carnivorous’ means animals which feed on other animals’ flesh. So, the void is such a carnivorous beast which will
chew up everything else with its carnivorous teeth. These carnivorous teeth are most probably capitalism and
hedonism which makes the human race more self-absorbed and devoid of human feelings. This suggests the
melancholic mood of the poet which arises due to the moral and spiritual void of human beings leading to a more
and more chaotic and greedy society. This void is said not to be an individual phenomenon but it is present in all of
us, signalling the collapse of human values. So, the poet laments for the intense suffering that everyone goes through
during the modern age.

The hollowness or the lack inside us is a part and parcel of our being. The poet then goes on to describe the very
nature of the void which is habitually angry and which hints at the source of anger in human nature. The poet uses
the image of ‘pond of blood’ which was inside the jaws of the void to portray the fierce and ruthless side of human
nature. This pond inside the void was formed due to the void sucking blood out of others. This imagery suggests that
people in modern age became so ruthless and self-absorbed that they do not hesitate to kill other people for self-
interest which is a threat to the society and thereby it signals to the apocalypse of the society.

Thereafter, Muktibodh characterises the void as black or gloomy in complexion. The colour of darkness is also black
which also means absence of light. Black colour absorbs all other colour, similarly, the void also absorbs everything

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within it. In this context, the void may also be compared to the ‘black hole’ in the space which can absorb many
universes or galaxies within it. Thus, it suggests the intake capacity of the void which like a giant can eat up everything
and become more powerful. Poetically, the poet demonstrates how there is nothing happy or positive to be found
in the blank. The emptiness is then described as being unclothed, crude, unrecognised, debased, and preoccupied
with itself. These characteristics point to the destructive nature of the vacuum, which will ultimately wipe out all life
on Earth. The people who are being grasped by the void turn into cruel beings becoming narcissist and full of
themselves that they least bother about other people’s feelings and emotions and thus one day it will destroy the
world. This picture very well describes the scenario of today’s world where people are more self-concerned and does
not care about others. Also, it brings out the inner side of the people where they suffer from loneliness or emptiness
but outside everyone is showing that they are happy.

In the next lines, the poet writes in the first-person narrative which brings the lyrical quality of the poem. The direct
presence of the poetic persona makes the poem a lyric where Muktibodh confirms that he also has the void in him
like others. Then he goes on to show how he nurtures the void inside him. He feeds it by hurting others by his ‘fiery
words and deeds’ and those who have been hurt go on to continue to hurt others in different ways in a chain network.
In this way, the children of emptiness are being raised in the society. Thus, the spread of the void is being nurtured
from an individual level to a collective one making the whole of human society its prey.

Besides the void being destructive, it is also sturdy and long- lasting. The next lines of the poem denote its robust
nature like plastic which is long- lasting. It has been compared to a fertile soil where it breeds ‘saws, daggers, sickles
and carnivorous teeth'. Saws are instruments which are used to cut wood or other hard substances. Sickles are used
to cut long grass and daggers are used as weapons to kill people. So, this gives us another important characteristic
of the void that it can strike people of all calibre from people as strong as wood to those as frail like grass and it is as
strong as a weapon like dagger which can kill other people.

The final section of the poem contains a paradoxical statement where the poet says that due to the destructive
nature of the void, there is dancing and jubilation all around. It also suggests that people hide their grief and shows
outside a feeling of happiness and content to make others believe that they are enjoying their lives. Thus, the void in
a way becomes a source of celebration. This celebration may also be seen as the post-modern celebration of this
meaninglessness of life. And the poem ends in a lamentation by the poet saying that Death is giving birth to brands
of new children and there can be seen everywhere the teeth of the void. Besides, the ‘heavily armed mistakes or the
wars have taken away millions of lives, but the world is ignorant of this massacre and are overlooking the effects.
According to the poet, ‘the world looks at them/ and walks on/ rubbing its hands’. In this way, Muktibodh shows us
that the void within us keeps us in a state of eternal forgetfulness and passivity.

Conclusion

Thus, a close reading of the poem shows that the void which exists within us progresses the spread of it from an
individual level to the collective one and thus the society is in a state of danger. The characteristics of the void as
described throughout the poem suggest its destructive and enduring nature. Muktibodh, like other modern poets is
actually lamenting for the destruction of the society and craves for an organised order which can only save the
mankind. Muktibodh’s poem, "The Void" serves as a metaphor for the isolation and pain endured by the average
person in today's contradictory society. Muktibodh's passionate advocacy for the underprivileged motivates his
protest speech against capitalism, exploitation, and a decaying social order. He had an apocalyptic vision because of
the inhumane conditions, the bourgeois's indifference, and the never-ending wheels of exploitation saying, “Though
poetry leaves no scope for statement/ but I say this society shall not last for long” (Muktibodh).

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References

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[4] Sultan, F. Poetics of Revelation: The Unmasked Beast in Eliot and Yeats. The Criterion 4(4), 2013. 8

[5] Leigh, David, J. Apocalyptic Patterns in Twentieth Century Fiction. Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press.2008

[6] Singh,A. Revisiting Muktibodh: A Life of Poetry, Promise and Protest. The Wire,2020 https://thewire in

[7] P.Hillela, and A. Sheeba Princess. “Proliferation of Postmodern Meaninglessness in G.M.Muktibodh’s ‘The
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[8] Bouacida, Soumaya, and Ikram Lecheheb. “The Apocalyptic Vision in Modernist and Romantic poetry: A
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[9] Dubey, Chandra Shekhar. “The Rhetoric of Protest and Politics of Dissonance: A Comparative Study of Thangjam
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[10] Muktibodh, Gajanan Madhav. “Eik Sahityik ki Diary”, New Delhi: Bharatiya Jnanpith, 2011

[11] Joshi, Rajesh. “Muktibodh Sanchayan”, New Delhi: Bharatiya Jnanpith, 2015.

Author’s Biography: ______________________________________________________________________

Nabankur Roy received his Bachelor of Arts in English from Siliguri College, affiliated to North
Bengal University, W.B, India in 2009, Master of Arts in English from North Bengal University,
W.B, India in 2011. He is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of English,
Vivekananda College, affiliated to University of Calcutta, W.B, India since 2017.

How Cite this article? _____________________________________________________________________

Roy, N. (2023). The Apocalyptic Vision in G.M. Muktibodh’s “The Void”. RESEARCH REVIEW
International Journal of Multidisciplinary, 8(2), 20–23.
https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2023.v08.n02.004

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