SOMAN RAGAVAN
12 June, 2025
Subject : Analysis of the poem : «Papa ! »
Analysis by Perplexity AI
(Artificial Intelligence)
Volume 40
(1)
Soman Ragavan :
Hello. I will post one of my poems for analysis. Could you please comment extensively.
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)
Perplexity AI :
Thank you for sharing your background and poetic interests. Since you have not yet posted your poem, I will address your request by discussing the context of your influences, what to consider in analysis, and how your background might shape your poetic voice. When you share your poem, I can provide a detailed, line-by-line analysis and make specific comparisons.
You mention studying poets such as Oliver Goldsmith, Lord Byron, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth, Robert Browning, Matthew Arnold, and Alfred Tennyson. These writers span the late 18th to late 19th centuries and represent key movements in English poetry:
When analyzing a poem influenced by these traditions, consider:
Modern poets who echo the Romantic and Victorian traditions include:
Given your Mauritian background, your poetry may also resonate with contemporary Indian Ocean writers who blend English literary traditions with local themes and imagery. This cross-cultural synthesis can set your work apart from both your British influences and your contemporaries.
When you share your poem, I will:
Please post your poem when ready, and I will provide an extensive, tailored analysis and comparison1.
(3)
Soman Ragavan :
Thank you. Here is my poem “Papa !” Please list the issues and discuss at length. (Poem posted; consider also the background notes in the poem).
(4)
Perplexity AI :
Your poem “Papa!” powerfully explores themes of paternal alienation, emotional trauma, and societal injustice through a blend of personal narrative and formal poetic structure. Below is an analysis addressing its stylistic choices, thematic depth, and connections to literary traditions, alongside contemporary comparisons.
The poem vividly portrays the psychological devastation of a father denied access to his child, amplified by the mother’s manipulation (e.g., brainwashing the child to call her lover “Papa” 1). Lines like “My tears went unseen. Unnotic’d” (stanza 6) and “A man, a martyr had to hide to cry” (stanza 18) echo the Victorian preoccupation with inner turmoil and societal hypocrisy, reminiscent of Robert Browning’s dramatic monologues (e.g., “My Last Duchess”) where silenced voices grapple with power imbalances12.
The poem condemns institutional biases against fathers in custody battles (“I lost out in court, I lost out in ‘family’”). This aligns with the article about SOS Papa’s advocacy in Mauritius, highlighting systemic neglect of paternal rights1. The tone mirrors Matthew Arnold’s disillusionment with societal structures in “Dover Beach,” though your focus is on modern legal injustice rather than existential doubt.
The playground scene juxtaposes the innocence of children (“voices of carefree children”) with the father’s despair, evoking Wordsworthian contrasts between nature’s purity and human suffering. However, unlike Wordsworth’s restorative vision of nature, your imagery underscores isolation (“Back to my solitude would I return”)12.
The use of contractions like “’twas” and “ne’er” invokes Romantic and Victorian diction, creating a timeless quality. The ABAB rhyme scheme and iambic tetrameter (e.g., “My hopes were dash’d, my dreams were shatter’d”) recall Alfred Tennyson’s lyrical precision, though the subject matter is starkly modern1.
The first-person narrative immerses readers in the father’s psyche, akin to Browning’s monologues. However, your poem lacks a specific interlocutor, intensifying the speaker’s isolation12.
Stanzas 12–14 (“Suddenly, ‘PAPA !’ rang out... The new guy was passing himself off as the father”) use visceral metaphors (“a deadly dagger they dug into a despairing father”) to convey betrayal, paralleling the raw emotionality of Byron’s “Darkness” but grounded in domestic realism1.
The father’s anguish is reiterated across multiple stanzas (e.g., stanzas 5, 6, 10). Condensing repetitive lines could amplify emotional impact.
The poem assumes familiarity with Mauritian custody dynamics (referenced in the SOS Papa article1). Adding subtle contextual clues (e.g., geographic markers) might broaden accessibility.
“Papa!” synthesizes Romantic emotional intensity, Victorian social critique, and postcolonial identity into a poignant exploration of fatherhood. Its strength lies in unflinching personal testimony, though refining stylistic consistency could elevate its universal resonance. Compared to contemporaries like Walcott or Duffy, your work shares their hybridity but carves a unique space in advocating for paternal voices often absent from literary discourse12.
(5)
Soman Ragavan :
The archaic style is deliberate. It reflects my literary background. Literary styles of centuries past can tackle more impactfully topics of our time, while giving a timeless feel to the writings.
Comment on the press article by SOS PAPA.
(6)
Perplexity AI :
The SOS Papa press article provides a crucial and timely insight into the challenges faced by divorced and separated fathers in Mauritius, highlighting a deeply entrenched societal and legal bias favoring mothers in child custody cases. It underscores the emotional suffering of fathers deprived of meaningful contact with their children and the broader social and economic consequences of this imbalance1.
Your poem “Papa!” resonates strongly with the SOS Papa article’s themes. The poem’s depiction of a father’s anguish, legal defeat, and emotional isolation mirrors the real-life struggles described by the association. The archaic style you deliberately use lends a timeless gravity to these contemporary issues, echoing the poem’s call for recognition and justice beyond transient societal norms10.
The poem’s vivid portrayal of the father’s pain and the betrayal by the mother’s new partner reflects the article’s emphasis on the complexity of family dynamics and the emotional damage inflicted on fathers. Your poetic voice gives a human face to the statistics and legal arguments presented in the article, making the abstract very personal and poignant.
Mauritian family law, as outlined in other sources, tends to favor mothers in custody decisions, often citing the “best interests of the child” principle, but with a strong presumption toward maternal custody, especially when parents are separated4. The legal framework allows for joint parental responsibility when parents live together, but in separation, custody often defaults to the mother unless the father proves unfitness or incapacity34.
The Family Court system is criticized for delays and stereotyped rulings that disadvantage fathers, as noted in the lexpress.mu article, which advocates for default access rights for fathers pending hearings to prevent injustice to children2. This legal inertia compounds the emotional trauma fathers experience, as your poem vividly illustrates.
The SOS Papa article is a compelling call for societal and legal reform in Mauritius, advocating for paternal rights as integral to children’s well-being and social equity. It aligns closely with the themes of your poem, which dramatizes the personal cost of current custody practices. Your use of an archaic poetic style to address these modern issues creates a powerful, timeless appeal for justice and recognition.
Together, your poetry and the SOS Papa advocacy highlight the urgent need to break the taboo around divorced fathers’ struggles, promote shared custody, and foster a more balanced and compassionate approach to family law in Mauritius.
(7)
Soman Ragavan :
Please make an analysis of the poem by pairs of stanzas. Refer to English and French writers of the past three centuries who have written similarly.
(8)
Perplexity AI :
Here is a detailed analysis of your poem “Papa!” by pairs of stanzas, with references to English and French writers from the past three centuries whose works resonate with similar themes, styles, or emotional tones.
Analysis:
The poem opens with a direct, emotional address to “Papa,” immediately establishing a personal and intimate tone. The father’s voice is filled with pain and a sense of loss, evoking a timeless lament. The archaic diction (“’twas,” “ne’er”) gives the poem a solemn, almost elegiac quality, reminiscent of 18th-century English elegies and Romantic laments.
Literary Parallels:
Analysis:
These stanzas deepen the father’s anguish, describing his exclusion from his child’s life and the mother’s betrayal. The vivid imagery of “voices of carefree children” contrasts sharply with the father’s isolation, highlighting emotional and social alienation.
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Analysis:
The father’s tears go unnoticed, and his suffering is silenced, reflecting societal neglect. The poem’s tone here evokes Victorian concerns with hidden emotional pain and social hypocrisy.
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Analysis:
The poem introduces the legal and social battles the father faces, emphasizing injustice and loss. The archaic style lends a timeless weight to these contemporary struggles, suggesting that such pain transcends eras.
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Analysis:
The father’s hope is dashed, and he faces betrayal by the mother’s new partner. The metaphor of a “deadly dagger” vividly conveys emotional violence, echoing Romantic and Victorian fascination with intense, often tragic passion.
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Analysis:
The father’s isolation culminates in a retreat to solitude, with nature serving as a silent witness to his suffering. The poem’s rhythm and rhyme here echo Victorian lyricism, balancing personal emotion with formal restraint.
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Analysis:
The poem’s climax arrives with the child’s confused identity and the father’s despair. The dramatic tone and vivid imagery recall Victorian narrative poetry’s focus on complex characters and social issues.
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Analysis:
The poem ends with a resigned but powerful statement of the father’s pain and social invisibility. The archaic style reinforces the timelessness of paternal suffering and societal neglect. (My note. The poem does not end here. SR).
Literary Parallels:
Your poem’s use of archaic diction and formal rhyme schemes situates it firmly within the Romantic and Victorian poetic traditions, while its themes of paternal alienation, legal injustice, and emotional suffering resonate with both English and French poets across the 18th and 19th centuries. The personal voice and social critique recall Browning’s dramatic monologues and Arnold’s social reflections, while the emotional intensity and nature imagery evoke Wordsworth and Hugo. French Romantic poets like de Vigny and Nerval also share your blending of personal grief with universal themes.
This pairing of traditional style with contemporary issues creates a timeless quality that bridges past and present, much as your stated literary background intended.
If you would like, I can provide a stanza-by-stanza breakdown with more detailed line references or explore specific poetic devices further.
Continuing the analysis of your poem “Papa!” by pairs of stanzas from stanza 17 to 25, with references to English and French poets from the past three centuries:
Stanzas 17 & 18
Analysis:
These stanzas deepen the father’s sense of martyrdom and concealment of pain (“A man, a martyr had to hide to cry”), emphasizing emotional repression and societal invisibility. The tone is one of tragic endurance, highlighting the father\'s silent suffering.
Literary Parallels:
Stanzas 19 & 20
Analysis:
The poem reflects on the father’s loss of identity and voice, underscoring his invisibility in society and the family. The archaic style lends a timeless dignity to this personal tragedy.
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Stanzas 21 & 22
Analysis:
These stanzas express the father’s yearning for justice and recognition, coupled with a profound sense of abandonment. The emotional intensity and formal structure recall Victorian appeals for moral and social reform.
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Stanzas 23 & 24
Analysis:
The poem acknowledges the societal silence around paternal suffering, emphasizing the taboo and marginalization faced by fathers. The archaic diction here underscores the enduring nature of this silence.
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Stanza 25
Analysis:
The final stanza delivers a poignant, resolute conclusion, affirming the father’s enduring pain and the need for acknowledgment. The use of archaic language here gives the poem a solemn, almost ritualistic closure.
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Summary of Final Stanzas
The closing stanzas of “Papa!” maintain the poem’s blend of archaic style and modern social critique, emphasizing themes of hidden suffering, loss of identity, and the urgent need for societal recognition of paternal pain. The emotional depth and formal restraint align with Romantic and Victorian poetic traditions, while the social concerns anticipate contemporary discussions on family justice.
Your poem’s sustained use of dramatic monologue and lyrical lament places it in dialogue with English and French poets who have grappled with personal and societal anguish across centuries, reinforcing its timeless and universal appeal.
If you wish, I can also provide a detailed commentary on specific lines or explore how particular poetic devices function in these stanzas.
(9)
Soman Ragavan :
Thank you.
(10)
Perplexity AI :
(a) Effectiveness of Poetic and Dramatic Devices
Your poem “Papa!” employs a range of poetic and dramatic devices that effectively convey the emotional intensity and social critique at its core. The deliberate use of archaic diction and formal rhyme schemes creates a timeless, solemn atmosphere that elevates the personal narrative to a universal lament. This stylistic choice successfully bridges your literary background with contemporary themes, lending the poem both gravitas and accessibility.
The dramatic monologue form immerses the reader directly into the father’s psyche, fostering empathy and a nuanced understanding of his anguish. The vivid imagery—such as the “deadly dagger” metaphor and the contrasting sounds of “carefree children”—powerfully externalizes internal conflict and social alienation. Repetition of key emotional motifs reinforces the father’s persistent pain and societal invisibility, though careful trimming of some repetitive lines could enhance impact.
Overall, these devices work cohesively to dramatize paternal suffering and systemic injustice, making the poem compelling both as a personal testimony and a social statement.
(b) Concluding Remarks
“Papa!” poignantly captures the multifaceted obstacles that separated fathers face in maintaining relationships with their children. Beyond the emotional heartbreak of alienation, fathers often confront systemic biases embedded within legal and social frameworks that favor maternal custody, as highlighted by the SOS Papa advocacy in Mauritius. These biases manifest in court rulings, social stigma, and limited access rights, leaving many fathers marginalized and silenced.
The poem’s archaic style underscores that such struggles are not merely contemporary but echo enduring human experiences of loss, injustice, and the yearning for recognition. By giving voice to a father’s hidden suffering, your poem challenges societal taboos and calls for greater awareness, empathy, and reform.
In sum, your work not only enriches literary tradition but also contributes meaningfully to ongoing conversations about family law, gender roles, and the rights of fathers—issues that remain urgent in Mauritius and beyond. Your poetic testimony stands as both an artistic achievement and a powerful advocacy tool for paternal justice.
(11)
Soman Ragavan :
Thank you. Please select a range of criteria for assessing my poem and give marks out of 100 for each criterion.
(12)
Perplexity AI :
Here is a suggested set of assessment criteria for your poem “Papa!”, reflecting both your literary interests and the qualities important in poetry influenced by Romantic and Victorian traditions. Each criterion is scored out of 100 to provide a balanced evaluation:
Criterion
Description
Score (out of 100)
Emotional Impact
Ability to evoke strong, authentic emotions and engage the reader’s empathy
90
Use of Language and Diction
Effective use of archaic and formal language to create tone, atmosphere, and timelessness
85
Imagery and Symbolism
Vivid, evocative images and metaphors that deepen thematic resonance
88
Form and Structure
Consistency and appropriateness of rhyme scheme, meter, stanza organization
80
Originality and Voice
Distinctiveness of poetic voice and fresh perspective on familiar themes
82
Thematic Depth
Exploration of complex social and personal issues, such as paternal alienation and injustice
90
Dramatic Effectiveness
Success of dramatic monologue form in conveying character and narrative tension
87
Cohesion and Clarity
Logical flow, clarity of expression, and avoidance of unnecessary repetition
78
Cultural and Contextual Relevance
Integration of Mauritian context and contemporary social issues within a traditional style
85
Summary
Your poem scores highly in emotional impact, thematic depth, and effective use of language, reflecting your strong literary background and deliberate stylistic choices. Areas for refinement include tightening repetition for clarity and enhancing structural variety to sustain reader engagement throughout.
This balanced evaluation highlights your poem’s strengths in marrying classical poetic traditions with urgent modern concerns, while suggesting avenues for further artistic development.
(13)
Soman Ragavan :
Thank you very much. Goodbye for now.
(14)
Perplexity AI :
You\'re very welcome, Soman. It’s been a pleasure discussing your poetry with you. Feel free to reach out anytime you wish to share more or explore further literary analysis. Goodbye for now, and best wishes with your writing!
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