"The auction" ; (Taj Mahal); 2 Dec 2023

                                        THE  AUCTION

 

Bloody hell, the public coffers be nearly deplet'd !

Yet, there be tremendous constructions awaiting us,

A whole people to be properly civilis'd and educat'd,

A whole country to be uplift'd through our genius.

 

Let's scout around for means of raising cash,

Let's find imaginative ways of local financing :

Future generations shalt marvel at our colonising;

Hark ! A terrific idea hath struck us in a flash !

 

Yonder… That goddamn, sinister construction !

That cold tomb, that stupid edifice that doth stink !

We've found at last for it a profitable solution,

The goddam thing we will demolish in a blink.

 

The damn thing we'll demolish block by block,

And sell off by auction for the good of the colony.

That's the way to feed and manage this flock,

And rid the world of the monument of a loony.

 

Right-ho ! Get your picks and your wheelbarrows.

Now, move it, ye lazy, good-for-nothing fellows.

We have a good mind to flog ye again as before,

If ye all don't work really faster a bit more.

 

For now, of the wretch'd marble

Let us have just a little sample;

First, we will go for a trial sale,

Afore the demolition wholesale.

 

***

 

Phew ! We really ought to have known :

A fat lot of interest they've shown.

On these morons we have wast'd our time,

Casting marble afore the swine in this clime.

 

Now must we forget the whole exercise,

For, though they pretend to look wise,

'Tis impossible this lot to civilise :

Of this, let the world well apprise.

 

Well, let them cling to their stupid mausoleum !

Indeed, we should douse them all with petroleum

And engulf them in flames, as a final solution,

Afore we leave this goddamn land of perdition.

*****

From the site of allpoetry.com :

Brookens -

 

commented on 'The auction' ; 1 Dec 2023

Title: "THE AUCTION"

First Line: The exclamatory "Bloody hell" sets a spirited tone, immediately capturing attention.

Last Line: The abrupt shift to a drastic solution introduces a surprising and intense conclusion.

Pacing, Stanza Breaks, Line Length: The poem's pacing is dynamic, with varying line lengths and well-placed stanza breaks enhancing the overall flow and impact.

Word-Flow, Rhyming, Form, Variety: The use of archaic language and rhyming adds a theatrical and historical touch, complementing the theme of colonial rule. The form suits the satirical and critical tone.

Emotional Content, Concrete Descriptions: The poem portrays the frustration of managing public finances and the disdain for a perceived unnecessary construction. The vivid descriptions evoke strong images, enhancing the reader's engagement.

Awkward/Brilliant Areas, Drama, Randomness: The sudden shift from planning an auction to advocating for the demolition and destruction of the construction introduces a dramatic and unexpected turn. This randomness adds a layer of satire and highlights the speaker's impatience.

Poetic-Feeling, Your Reaction: The poem has a satirical and critical tone, effectively conveying a sense of frustration and disdain for the perceived foolishness of the people. The use of heightened language contributes to a sense of theatricality, making it engaging.

Step-by-Step Walk-Through: The poem begins with a lively expression of frustration about depleting public coffers. The speaker then proposes a dramatic solution—demolishing a perceived unnecessary construction. The auction idea takes an unexpected turn, leading to a final, drastic suggestion of setting everything ablaze. The satirical tone and the use of archaic language contribute to the overall impact, making it a compelling commentary on colonial attitudes and governance.  

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2 December, 2023

My reply :

Thank you. This is a real story of what happened in India during colonial times. The Englishman Bentinck was Governor General of India. He wanted to demolish the TAJ MAHAL, one of the wonders of the world, and sell off the marble blocks by auction to help boost public finances. The tragedy was only averted because people were not interested in buying the marble blocks. If a foreign state had been interested, they would have had the resources to buy the lot and rebuild the marvel elsewhere, outside India….

See the following :

“(…) (9)            Like Macaulay, they came to India, often for only a few years, endowed with a full consciousness of racial superiority. Already in 1817, some of the more broad-minded civilians, like Sir Thomas Munro, were protesting against the new tendency.

 

"Foreign conquerors have treated the natives with violence, but none has treated them with so much scorn as we; none have stigmatized the whole people as unworthy of trust, as incapable of honesty, and as fit to be employed only where we cannot do without them. It seems not only ungenerous, but impolitic, to debase the character of a people fallen under our dominion."  (P : 398-399).

 

(10) Macaulay's sonorous Minute on Education served a double purpose. It helped to win an immediate victory for the "Anglicists" and its generalizations, coming from a man of such repute, appeased the conscience of those officials who dimly recognized a great field of learning from which they were cut off by linguistic and other obstacles. Nearly everything with which this present book has dealt  was included in Macaulay's sweeping condemnation --- the Indian  epics, Hindu and Buddhist philosophy, the science and craftsmanship which raised and adorned her great buildings, the Ayurvedic system of medicine, and the traditions of a people "civilized and cultivated; cultivated by all the arts of polished life while we were yet in the woods." Macaulay in India might with advantage have recalled his Burke.

 

There were other reasons which account for the success  of the "Anglicists". For the  quarter of a century which preceded the Mutiny, although much of the country was settled, the administration remained chiefly occupied in minor wars, and the pacification of new territory. The Government was  continually short of money and obsessed with the idea of building up a prosperous country upon the ruins of the old anarchy. It was typical of these times that Bentinck as Governor-General should have seriously considered the demolition of the Taj Mahal and the sale of its marble. He "was only diverted because the test auction of materials from the Agra Palace proved unsatisfactory." (Section by E. B. HAVELL : "INDIAN SCULPTURE AND PAINTING." Page 246).  (P : 401, 402).

  "THE LEGACY OF INDIA." (Edited by G. T. Garratt). Introduction by the Marquess of Zetland. Oxford : The Clarendon Press, 1937. Full acknowledgements are made to the authors, publishers and rights-holders.

Thus, the text says that even samples of the monument had been removed for a TEST AUCTION…

Soman Ragavan. 2 December, 2023.

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