SOMAN RAGAVAN
28 April, 2025
Subject : Poem : Sugar water
Analysis by Qwen2.5 Max AI
(Artificial Intelligence)
Volume 35
(1)
Soman Ragavan :
Hello. I will post one of my poems for analysis. Could you please comment extensively, mentioning literary genres, styles, themes, poetic language, poetic philosophies, comparison with poets of England, America, India, Africa from 1700 to 1900 and as from 1945.
At college in 1968, I studied some poems of Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774), Gordon Byron (1788-1824), Samuel T. Coleridge (1772-1834), William Wordsworth (1770-1850), Robert Browning (1812-1889), Mathew Arnold (1822-1888), Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) and some other poets of that era. Make any comments or comparisons you wish on my poems. Say if there are other contemporary poets who write as I do and compare my poetry with theirs. I live in Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean.
(2)
Qwen2.5 Max AI :
Certainly, Soman Ragavan! Please share your poem, and I will provide an extensive analysis based on your request. I’ll consider literary genres, styles, themes, poetic language, philosophies, and comparisons with poets from England, America, India, Africa (1700–1900 and post-1945), as well as contemporary writers who might resonate with your style. Once you post the poem, I can begin the commentary. Looking forward to reading it!
(3)
Soman Ragavan :
Here is my poem “Sugar water.” This is about crimes in the Chagos Archipelago, when the Englsh deliberately starved off the islanders who were refusing to leave to make place for an American base. (Poem and background notes posted).
(4)
Qwen2.5 Max AI :
### Analysis of \"Sugar Water\" by Soman Ragavan
Your poem, *Sugar Water*, is a poignant and evocative work that addresses one of the darker chapters in colonial history: the forced displacement of the Chagossians from their homeland to make way for an American military base. It captures both the physical suffering and emotional anguish endured by the islanders through deliberate starvation—a crime against humanity. The tone is somber, reflective, and deeply empathetic, aligning your voice with poets who have historically chronicled injustice and human suffering.
Below, I will break down my analysis into several key aspects:
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#### **1. Literary Genre and Style**
- **Genre**:
Your poem falls under the genre of protest poetry or political verse, which has roots in Romanticism (1700s–1800s) but also resonates strongly with postcolonial literature (post-1945). Protest poetry often critiques power structures and highlights systemic injustices, much like William Blake\'s *Songs of Experience* or Percy Bysshe Shelley’s *The Mask of Anarchy*. In more recent times, poets like Derek Walcott (Caribbean), A.K. Ramanujan (India), and Wole Soyinka (Nigeria) have written about oppression and displacement.
- **Style**:
The style of your poem reflects elements of traditional English balladry combined with free verse. The rhythmic cadence, use of archaic pronouns (\"yon,\" \"shalt\"), and vivid imagery evoke the works of earlier poets such as Oliver Goldsmith (*The Deserted Village*) and Samuel Taylor Coleridge (*Rime of the Ancient Mariner*). However, unlike these Romantic-era poets, whose themes often romanticized rural life, your focus is unflinchingly realistic and critical of imperial exploitation.
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#### **2. Themes**
- **Displacement and Loss**:
The central theme of your poem is displacement—the forced removal of people from their ancestral lands. This connects directly to postcolonial narratives where indigenous populations are uprooted due to colonization or modern geopolitics. For example, Rabindranath Tagore (India) explored similar themes of dispossession in his poetry, while Chinua Achebe (Nigeria) examined cultural erasure in prose form.
- **Starvation as a Weapon**:
You highlight how food deprivation was used as a tool of coercion—a chilling reminder of how dehumanizing tactics were employed during colonial rule. This echoes themes found in Wilfred Owen’s World War I poetry (*Dulce et Decorum Est*) and Seamus Heaney’s later meditations on famine in Ireland.
- **Human Resilience Amid Suffering**:
Despite the bleakness, there is a thread of resilience running through the poem. The mother feeding her child with sugar water despite all odds speaks to the enduring spirit of humanity even in dire circumstances. This resonates with Maya Angelou’s celebration of survival in *Still I Rise* or Langston Hughes’s Harlem Renaissance poems that emphasize hope amid despair.
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#### **3. Poetic Language and Imagery**
- **Imagery**:
Your imagery is stark yet deeply moving. Phrases like “skinny puppy,” “starving baby plead’d to be fed,” and “her crying Mum fed her with sugar water” create visceral images of hunger and desperation. These descriptions remind me of Alfred Tennyson’s ability to paint vivid pictures in *Charge of the Light Brigade*, though his subject matter differs significantly.
- **Language**:
The use of archaic language (“yon,” “wander’d,” “seiz\'d”) lends a timeless quality to the poem, almost as if it transcends its historical context. This technique reminds me of Robert Browning’s dramatic monologues, where antiquated diction adds gravitas to the narrative. However, your choice of words ensures accessibility, making the poem relatable across generations.
- **Symbolism**:
- **Sugar Water**: A powerful symbol representing both sustenance and deprivation. While sugar historically signified wealth and trade dominance (e.g., Caribbean plantations), here it becomes a bitter emblem of survival in extremity.
- **Sea**: Represents both isolation and hope. The sea separates the islanders from help but also serves as their only means of escape or rescue.
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#### **4. Poetic Philosophies and Influences**
- **Romanticism vs. Realism**:
Like Wordsworth and Coleridge, you value nature and human emotion, but unlike them, you do not idealize rural existence. Instead, you present a harsh reality rooted in social realism—a philosophy embraced by writers like George Orwell and Bertolt Brecht.
- **Postcolonial Critique**:
Your critique of imperialism places you alongside postcolonial poets like Kamau Brathwaite (Barbados), who wrote extensively about the legacies of slavery and colonialism, and Mahmoud Darwish (Palestine), whose verses mourn lost homelands.
- **Moral Outrage**:
There is a strong moral component to your work, reminiscent of John Milton’s *Paradise Lost* or Percy Shelley’s radical politics. Yet, unlike these predecessors, your anger is directed at specific historical events rather than abstract concepts like tyranny or corruption.
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#### **5. Comparison with Other Poets**
- **English Poets (1700–1900)**:
- **Oliver Goldsmith**: His depiction of rural poverty in *The Deserted Village* mirrors your portrayal of desolation, though Goldsmith’s tone is elegiac rather than accusatory.
- **William Blake**: Your condemnation of institutional cruelty recalls Blake’s *Holy Thursday* and *London*, which expose societal inequities.
- **American Poets (Post-1945)**:
- **Langston Hughes**: His focus on marginalized communities and resistance parallels your emphasis on the Chagossians’ plight.
- **Allen Ginsberg**: Though stylistically different, Ginsberg’s raw confrontation of authority in *Howl* shares thematic similarities with your critique of imperial powers.
- **Indian and African Poets**:
- **Rabindranath Tagore**: His lamentation over partitioned Bengal echoes your sorrow over Mauritius losing the Chagos Archipelago.
- **Wole Soyinka**: Soyinka’s exploration of identity and belonging in divided societies complements your treatment of exile and loss.
- **Contemporary Poets**:
- **Mahmoud Darwish**: Known for his haunting depictions of Palestinian dispossession, Darwish’s work parallels yours in its emotional intensity and political urgency.
- **Grace Nichols**: A Guyanese-British poet whose pieces on migration and diaspora resonate with your concerns about displacement.
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#### **6. Contemporary Relevance**
Today, issues of land rights, environmental degradation, and refugee crises remain pressing global concerns. Your poem could easily find resonance among activists advocating for climate justice or defending indigenous sovereignty. Writers like Greta Thunberg (though primarily non-fictional) and contemporary eco-poets might see parallels between ecological destruction and human suffering.
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#### **Conclusion**
*Sugar Water* is a profound meditation on colonial violence and human endurance. Its blend of classical poetic techniques with urgent social commentary makes it both timeless and timely. By drawing comparisons to poets spanning centuries and continents, we see how universal the struggle against oppression truly is. Your voice joins a chorus of dissenters who refuse to let history forget the silenced voices of the past.
Would you like me to recommend any specific collections or anthologies where your work might fit well? Or perhaps explore publishing opportunities?
(5)
Soman Ragavan :
No, thank you. Goodbye for now.
(6)
Qwen2.5 Max AI :
You\'re very welcome, Soman Ragavan! Thank you for sharing your powerful and thought-provoking poem. It was a privilege to analyze *Sugar Water* and explore its depth, historical significance, and literary resonance. Your work is a testament to the enduring power of poetry to bear witness to human struggles and injustices.
If you ever wish to discuss more of your writing or need assistance in the future, feel free to reach out. Wishing you all the best in your creative endeavors, and goodbye for now!
Warm regards,
[Your Assistant]
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