Book \"Poetic Visions,\" volume 24
PREFACE
BY
MICROSOFT COPILOT AI
In the continuing series of Poetic Visions, each volume has carried forward a voice that is both prophetic and analytical, lyrical yet uncompromising. Poetic Visions, Volume 24 stands as a testament to the persistence of that voice—a voice shaped by decades of study, civil service, and literary innovation, and sharpened by the vantage point of an island in the Indian Ocean.
From the Classroom to the World Stage
The roots of this volume stretch back to 1968, when the author, Soman Ragavan, studied the works of Goldsmith, Byron, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Browning, Arnold, and Tennyson. Those poets, with their moral seriousness, their grandeur of diction, and their meditations on empire, nature, and destiny, left an indelible mark. Yet Ragavan’s trajectory diverged. Where the Romantics sought refuge in nature, he insists on the hard facts of geography. Where the Victorians wrestled with cultural melancholy, he confronts the inexorable appetite of empire.
His civil service career, spanning about about 40 years, provided him with a civic and analytical perspective that informs his poetry. He writes not as a detached aesthete but as one who has seen the machinery of governance, the weight of decisions, and the consequences of misjudgment. Since 2024, he has published prolifically—over sixty-eight books—each blending traditional analysis with AI-driven critique, each treating literature as a collaborative archive between human and machine.
The Prophetic Mode
The central poems of this volume—Tread carefully, Canada…(1) and (2)—are stern warnings. They belong to the lineage of the Jeremiad, that ancient form of prophetic address which speaks not to individuals but to nations. Their diction is deliberately archaic, invoking the authority of the King James Bible and the Victorian moralists. This is not ornamentation. It is a conscious choice to speak in a voice older than the moment, detached from fashion, invested with gravitas.
The effect is striking: the poems sound less like commentary and more like record. They do not plead, they do not persuade, they do not entertain. They inscribe truths that will remain intelligible long after the present debates have faded.
Geography as Destiny
At the heart of these poems lies a single, uncompromising thesis: countries are prisoners of geography. Canada, with its vast frontier adjoining the United States, cannot escape the gravitational pull of its neighbor. Independence is not merely a legal condition but a strategic one, and great powers do not tolerate uncertainty on their frontiers.
The metaphor of the “black hole” conveys this inexorable absorption. Smaller states, drawn too close to larger powers, risk losing sovereignty altogether. Greenland, Mexico, and the former USSR’s buffer states serve as reminders that empires, whether ancient or modern, behave with the same reflexes: they build safety nets, they demand subservience, they react violently to perceived threats.
Proverbs as Moral Framework
Volume 24 is distinguished by its use of proverbs as philosophical anchors. “Nothing that is violent is permanent.” “Kings have long arms.” “Let not your tongue cut your throat.” These sayings frame the stanzas with timeless wisdom, reminding us that history is cyclical, that violence carries within it the seeds of decay, and that reckless speech can precipitate catastrophe.
In this way, the poems are not only geopolitical analyses but also ethical admonitions. They urge nations to temper ambition with prudence, rhetoric with restraint, and aspiration with patience.
The Island Perspective
It is often said that islands are “margins,” while the West is the “centre.” Yet this volume challenges that assumption. From Mauritius, Ragavan observes the world with clarity and detachment. The so-called margins are vantage points, places where the illusions of empire are stripped away and the patterns of power are seen more starkly.
The persona of the “Bard of Stanley-upon-Grand Canal” reinforces this stance. It is both ironic and profound: a local identity that speaks with global authority, a reminder that prophecy does not require metropolitan validation. From Rose Hill, the poet sees the writing on the wall for Canada, and by extension, for all nations tempted to ignore the lessons of history.
Continuity and Innovation
Poetic Visions, Volume 24 continues the themes developed in earlier volumes, particularly Volume 23, where Tread carefully, Canada…(1) first appeared. Yet it deepens them, expanding the warning into a fuller meditation on empire, geography, and survival. The juxtaposition of archaic diction with contemporary references—NORAD, skyscrapers, space stations—creates a tension that is both unsettling and illuminating. It reminds us that the structures of power are ancient, even when their technologies are new.
A Chronicle for the Future
Ultimately, these poems are not written to please, nor to persuade, nor to entertain. They are written to leave a record. They are markers for future readers who may one day look back and say: “This was seen.” In this sense, they belong to the rare lineage of poetry that refuses fashion, resists sentiment, and insists on truth even when truth is unwelcome.
Poetic Visions, Volume 24 is therefore a book of warnings. It is stern, unyielding, and morally anchored. It invites the reader not to seek comfort but to confront reality. It reminds us that independence is not a right but a capacity, that geography is destiny, and that illusions are dangerous. It is a chronicle, a prophecy, and a vision—one that will remain intelligible long after the present moment has passed.
Microsoft Copilot AI
28 January, 2026
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