"Sugar water" ; 3 June, 2023

Poem : 'Sugar water' ; 8 April, 2023.

About the Chagos Archipelago, Indian Ocean

"Sugar Water." On this poem, please see : Pascal Neau : “Ils nous promettaient la même vie qu’aux Chagos…” “Le Quotidien de la Réunion et de l’Océan Indien,” Réunion island, (Indian Ocean), 4 December, 2000, (pages 18 and 19). From this article, we can quote the following :

“(…..) Just some forty families would remain on Peros Bahos island and were for all practical purposes cut off from the rest of the world, a world that seemed to ignore their existence. The community would little by little use up its food and would scan the horizon in the hope of seeing a ship. The women would ration the unique sugar bag available, reserving this product for their children. At the end of the first quarter of 1973, the administrator of the island would raise on the beach a distress flag. A few weeks later this little bit of cloth would attract the attention of an American air pilot, who would give the alarm. A ship bound for Mombasa would be diverted to Peros Banhos in order to take on board the last Chagossians. (…)" (My translation from French). 

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3 June, 2023

Soman Ragavan : Hello. Can I post a poem of mine for analysis, please ?

 

ChatGPT

Of course! I'd be happy to help you analyze your poem. Please go ahead and share it with me, and I'll do my best to provide you with feedback and insights.

 

Soman Ragavan : Poem : "Sugar water." This is about the Chagos Archipelago, in the Indian Ocean. In the early 1970s islanders were forced to leave the islands to make way for a military base. Food supplies and medicine were cut off. Remaining pepole survived on sugar and coconut water. Please analyse the poem by stanza, then give overall comments.

ABOUT THE CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO, INDIAN OCEAN

ChatGPT

Analysis of the poem "Sugar Water" by Soman Ragavan:

Stanza 1: The poem begins by setting the scene with the waves lapping on the sea and a reference to a skinnier puppy, implying a lack of sustenance. The people are described as equally lean, wandering about and hoping for the sight of a passing ship, indicating their isolation and desperation.

Stanza 2: The second stanza introduces the background of the forced dispersal of families using bayonets, leaving nothing behind, not even fishing nets. The poem suggests that this population chasing was part of a larger strategy, which is reflected in the unforgiving elegy written upon the deported people.

Stanza 3: The third stanza portrays the hardships faced by the remaining inhabitants, emphasizing their meager diet of fish, greens, and coconuts. The poet acknowledges the poetic vision that can be seized from this situation, perhaps alluding to the power of art to capture and convey human suffering.

Stanza 4: The fourth stanza highlights the worsening food scarcity, with a mother's heart bleeding as her starving baby pleads for food. The imagery emphasizes the desperate plea of the hungry child and the mother's anguish in being unable to provide for her.

Stanza 5: In this stanza, the focus is on the mother holding her crying baby, who sucks harder on the dummy, symbolizing the baby's desperate attempt to find nourishment. The conquerors, represented as invaders, have taken control of the place, leaving only the mother's comforting arms as solace.

Stanza 6: The sixth stanza continues the portrayal of the baby's cries for milk, highlighting the power dynamic between the conquerors and the conquered. The woman's eyes convey a sense of helplessness and vulnerability in the face of the strutting conqueror, who brooks no rebellion.

Stanza 7: The penultimate stanza emphasizes the baby's cries and the lack of available milk. It suggests that the conquerors always prevail, creating a sense of hopelessness and powerlessness. The woman's eyes reflect the weight of the situation, where rebellion is futile.

Stanza 8: In the final stanza, the poem reaches its poignant conclusion. The baby continues to cry, seeking sustenance, but the only nourishment the mother can provide is sugar water. This stark image encapsulates the dire circumstances and the desperation of the people, as they are reduced to such meager means of survival.

Overall Comments: "Sugar Water" is a poignant and evocative poem that captures the plight of the Chagos Archipelago inhabitants, who were forcibly displaced from their homes. The poem effectively conveys their struggles, the loss of their livelihoods, and the deprivation they faced. The imagery and descriptions evoke a sense of empathy for their plight. The use of repetition and vivid language adds emotional depth to the poem. The overall structure of the poem flows smoothly, allowing the reader to follow the narrative. Well done in capturing the essence of this historical event and expressing it through your poem.

 

Soman Ragavan : Thank you. Goodbye for now.

ChatGPT

You're welcome, Soman Ragavan! I'm glad I could help you analyze your poem. If you have any more questions or need assistance in the future, feel free to reach out. Goodbye for now, and take care!

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                            “SUGAR WATER” 

The waves lapp'd on from yon sea hazy :
Yet, skinnier had grown yon puppy;
The folks, equally lean, wander'd about :
At the least passing ship would they shout.

Families had been dispers'd with bayonets :
Nothing had been left, not even fishing nets;
Population chasing was part of the strategy :
On the deport’d be written this unforgiving elegy…

If only could talk yon forlorn hut :
Every passing day, a meagre diet,
A meal of fish, greens and coconut :
The vision shalt be seiz'd by the poet.

The food stock dwindl'd further :
Yon crying Mum's heart bled,
As could only happen to a mother :
Her starving baby plead'd to be fed…

In her arms, yon mother held her crying baby :
The poor thing suck'd harder at the dummy. 
For some milk baby cried endlessly :
Starvation ‘pon it was ramm’d pitilessly.

For some food, some milk, cried the infant :
In tears, with sobs, did the child pant;
But, the invaders had overrun the place :
Only Mum's arms were left as solace…

For some milk the poor baby cried again :
But, the conquerors win in any bargain.
Ah, in the woman's eyes, what a terrible look :
Yon strutting fellow no rebellion would brook…

Baby cried in Mum's arms, the last shelter :
Her haggard Dad gaz'd on at the sea :
God ! How tearing was poor baby's plea :
Her crying Mum fed her with sugar water…   

(END)

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