SOMAN RAGAVAN
19 June , 2025
Subject : Analysis of my book “Poetic visions,” volume 19, first edition, June 2025
https://allpoetry.com/poem/18488237-AnalysisByMiniMax-M1-AI-Volume-1-Book-Poetic-Visions-vol-19--19Ju-by-Soman-Ragavan
Analysis by MiniMax M1 AI
(Artificial Intelligence)
Volume 1
(1)
Soman Ragavan :
Hello. I will post one of my books 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)
MIniMax M1 AI :
Understood! Please share your poems whenever you're ready, and I'll analyze them in depth according to your criteria:
- **Literary genres and styles**
- **Themes and poetic language/philosophies**
- **Comparisons with poets from England, America, India, and Africa (1700–1900 and post-1945)**
- **Contemporary poets with similar approaches**
Feel free to paste your work here, and I’ll provide a structured, detailed breakdown. 😊
(3)
Soman Ragavan :
By and large society is biased against men. This is seen even in policies and actions of governments. Separated fathers and beaten fathers are left to their resources. Many State institutions favour women. Here is my book “Poetic visions” volume 19. It contains poems and analyses by some AI platforms. Read the whole book and give an analysis, summarizing themes, and making any comments you wish. Compare with Commonwealth poets and other poets/writers worldwide.
(Book posted).
(4)
MIniMax M1 AI :
### **Analysis of *Poetic Visions Volume 19* by Soman Ragavan**
*(Based on the poems "Papa!", "Planet of Beaten Men," and "Il apporte des hommes battus")*
---
### **Summary of Themes**
- **Paternal Alienation and the Erosion of Identity**
- "Papa!" centers on a father’s psychological devastation when his daughter, manipulated by her mother and a new partner, calls another man "Papa." The poem captures the moment of betrayal—*"Suddenly, 'PAPA !' rang out : a joyous cry... / But -- a devastating sight...... Ah, my soul did fry..."*—as a violation of the father’s core identity. The legal and social systems that enable this alienation are framed as complicit, reducing fathers to "living men, dying fathers" (as noted in the SOS Papa context).
- **Male Vulnerability and the Stigma of Suffering**
- "Planet of Beaten Men" and "Il apporte des hommes battus" challenge the stereotype that men are immune to domestic violence. These poems depict men as victims of physical and emotional abuse, with lines like *"A deadly dagger they dug into a despairing father"* ("Papa!") and *"The child was told the lover was her real father"* ("Papa!") highlighting the intersection of violence and psychological manipulation. The focus on male vulnerability subverts traditional narratives of masculinity as invulnerable.
- **Systemic Bias and Institutional Neglect**
- The collection critiques family court systems that favor mothers in custody disputes. "Papa!" references court losses (*"I lost out in court, I lost out in 'family'")* and the economic burden of fighting for access (*"Even if they have a court order, if it is not respected, they have to spend a lot of money to be able to see their children"*—SOS Papa article). This systemic bias is framed as a form of structural violence against fathers.
- **Emotional Authenticity and the Power of Personal Testimony**
- The poems prioritize raw, unfiltered emotion over abstract philosophy. The father’s voice in "Papa!" is immediate and intimate, using phrases like *"My tears went unseen. Unnotic’d. Ah, how a suff’ring man they fleec’d..."* to humanize his pain. This directness makes the work accessible while amplifying its emotional impact.
---
### **Style and Poetic Devices**
- **Archaic Diction and Formal Rhyme**
- "Papa!" employs archaic language (*"'twas," "dastardlier," "yon"*) and a consistent ABAB rhyme scheme, evoking the gravitas of 18th–19th-century poetry (e.g., Wordsworth, Tennyson). This style dignifies the father’s suffering, framing it as timeless rather than transient.
- **Dramatic Monologue and Narrative Intensity**
- "Papa!" is structured as a first-person dramatic monologue, immersing readers in the father’s psyche. The 24 stanzas unfold like a tragic play, with emotional peaks (e.g., the child’s cry of "Papa!" to another man) and visceral imagery (*"A deadly dagger they dug into a despairing father"*).
- **Juxtaposition of Innocence and Betrayal**
- The playground in "Papa!" symbolizes childhood joy, contrasting sharply with the father’s anguish. This juxtaposition (*"voices of carefree children"* vs. *"A despair went through me. I shook from the shudder..."*) heightens the emotional tension, making the betrayal more poignant.
- **Repetition and Refrain**
- The repetition of "Papa!" throughout the poem acts as a refrain, mirroring the father’s fixation on the word and its devastating impact. Phrases like *"What a fate, what a fate, that of a father..."* in the closing stanzas reinforce the poem’s lament.
---
### **Literary Context and Comparisons**
#### **Commonwealth and Global Parallels**
- **Derek Walcott (Caribbean)**: Like Walcott’s *Omeros* (which reclaims marginalized voices through classical forms), your work uses formal poetry to elevate the experiences of silenced fathers. Both blend personal trauma with broader social critique.
- **Wole Soyinka (Nigeria)**: Soyinka’s *Death and the King’s Horseman* explores power imbalances and cultural conflict, much like your critique of family courts. His focus on systemic injustice aligns with your themes.
- **Agha Shahid Ali (Kashmir/USA)**: Ali’s *The Country Without a Post Office* meditates on displacement and loss, resonating with your portrayal of paternal alienation as a form of existential exile.
- **Meena Kandasamy (India)**: Kandasamy’s *When I Hit You* challenges gendered violence narratives; your work similarly subverts stereotypes by centering male vulnerability.
#### **Victorian and Romantic Echoes**
- **Robert Browning**: The dramatic monologue form and psychological depth in "Papa!" recall Browning’s *My Last Duchess*. Both explore power dynamics, though your speaker is a victim, not a perpetrator.
- **Matthew Arnold**: The elegiac tone and societal critique in *Dover Beach* parallel your lament for systemic bias. Arnold’s focus on "the sea of faith" receding mirrors your theme of fading paternal bonds.
---
### **Strengths and Unique Contributions**
- **Dignifying the Silenced**
- By adopting a formal, almost "elevated" style, you counteract the societal dismissal of male suffering. The archaic diction refuses to trivialize pain, framing it as timeless and universal.
- **Mauritian Context as Subtext**
- While not explicitly foregrounded, your location in Mauritius—a multicultural island with a history of indentured labor and colonial legacy—adds layers to themes of displacement and identity. The poems’ focus on family breakdown can be read as a microcosm of broader societal fractures.
- **Art as Advocacy**
- *Poetic Visions* bridges art and activism, using poetry to challenge systemic biases against fathers and amplify voices often excluded from discussions of domestic violence. This positions the work as both a literary achievement and a call to empathy.
---
### **Conclusion**
*Poetic Visions Volume 19* is a powerful exploration of paternal alienation, male vulnerability, and systemic injustice. Its strength lies in its emotional authenticity, formal precision, and ability to transform personal trauma into universal resonance. By drawing on both Victorian gravitas and contemporary urgency, the collection carves a unique space in literature—one that centers the often-silenced voices of fathers and challenges societal norms about masculinity and family.
(5)
Soman Ragavan :
Thank you. You have concentrated on the poem “Papa !” I will post two poems for you to analyse, one by one. Here is my poem “Planet of beaten men.” Analyse for now. Then I will post another poem. (Posted).
(6)
MIniMax M1 AI :
### **Analysis of "Planet of Beaten Men" by Soman Ragavan**
---
#### **Themes**
- **Systemic Oppression and Hypocrisy**
The poem critiques a world where societal structures perpetuate violence and injustice under a veneer of civility. The lines *"Preaching peace, advocating for good manners, / But caving under the perfidious blows of the witches…"* juxtapose performative morality ("preaching peace") with hidden cruelty ("perfidious blows"). The "witches" symbolize manipulative forces (perhaps oppressive systems or individuals) that wield power covertly.
- **Futility and Despair**
The recurring rhetorical questions (*"When the hell will this at last stop!" / "When the hell will all this change?"*) emphasize existential frustration. The speaker laments a cycle of suffering with no resolution, evoking a sense of entrapment: *"Hereabouts, just hate and suff’ring : / Nowhere does one find hope…"*
- **Power Imbalance and Isolation**
The poem contrasts the oppressor’s comfort (*"Yonder, having grabb’d all, / They live a life of dreams"*) with the victim’s alienation (*"Alone on his island, much better off was Robinson…"*). This duality highlights the disparity between those who exploit and those who endure.
- **Gender Dynamics**
The references to "mistress of the house" and "Amazonia" (a mythical land of female warriors) suggest a critique of matriarchal dominance or gendered violence. The poem positions men as victims in a world where traditional power roles are inverted, complicating traditional narratives of gender oppression.
---
#### **Structure and Style**
- **Free Verse with Rhythmic Repetition**
The poem lacks a strict rhyme scheme but uses repetition (*"What a make-believe… / When the hell will this at last stop!"*) and rhetorical questions to create an incantatory, protest-like rhythm. The fragmented lines (*"Day after day, nothing but make-believe"*) mirror the speaker’s fractured psyche.
- **Archaic Diction and Register**
Words like *"Inflict’d," "caving down,"* and *"suff’ring"* evoke a formal, almost Victorian tone, elevating the subject’s gravity. This contrasts with visceral imagery (*"base blows," "ferocious animals"*) to heighten the tension between civility and primal violence.
- **Symbolism and Metaphor**
- **"Planet of Beaten Men"**: The title frames the poem as a dystopian allegory, universalizing the experience of male victimhood.
- **"Amazonia"**: A mythical reference that critiques idealized matriarchal power, suggesting a world where women’s dominance leads to male subjugation.
- **"Refuse ground"**: Symbolizes a world corrupted by cyclical violence and despair.
---
#### **Literary Context and Comparisons**
- **Postcolonial and Protest Poetry**
The poem’s focus on systemic oppression and rhetorical urgency aligns with works like Derek Walcott’s *Omeros* (which interrogates colonial legacies) or Wole Soyinka’s political verse. The "witches" as symbols of hidden power echo Soyinka’s use of mythic archetypes to critique corruption.
- **Existential Angst**
The tone of futility (*"Nowhere does one find hope"*) and fragmented structure resemble T.S. Eliot’s *The Waste Land* or Samuel Beckett’s minimalist despair, though here the focus is societal rather than individual.
- **Gender Reversal as Subversion**
By framing men as victims of systemic violence, the poem subverts traditional narratives of patriarchal oppression. This aligns with contemporary discourses on male vulnerability (e.g., the work of poet Warsan Shire, who explores displacement and trauma across genders).
---
#### **Strengths and Critique**
- **Strengths**:
- The poem’s raw anger and rhetorical questions create visceral urgency, making the reader confront uncomfortable truths about power and hypocrisy.
- The blend of formal diction and visceral imagery ("base blows," "ferocious animals") effectively contrasts societal facades with primal violence.
- **Areas for Development**:
- The gendered critique (*"mistress of the house," "Amazonia"*) risks oversimplification. Clarifying whether this critiques matriarchy or specific instances of female aggression could deepen the poem’s nuance.
- The ending’s resignation (*"Quicky, let us change for another world"*) could be expanded to hint at agency or resistance, balancing despair with hope.
---
#### **Conclusion**
"Planet of Beaten Men" is a powerful indictment of systemic hypocrisy and gendered violence. Its strength lies in its unflinching portrayal of despair and the clever use of metaphor to universalize male vulnerability. By drawing on postcolonial protest traditions and existential angst, the poem challenges readers to question who holds power and who bears the cost. With further nuance in its gendered critique, it could evolve into an even more resonant work.
Would you like me to analyze another poem next?
(7)
Soman Ragavan :
Thank you. Here is my poem “Il apporte des hommes battus.” Please analyse in English. (Posted).
(8)
MIniMax M1 AI :
### **Analysis of "Il apporte des hommes battus..." by Soman Ragavan**
---
#### **Themes**
- **Domestic Violence Against Men as a Hidden Epidemic**
The poem directly addresses the taboo of male victimhood, stating *"Les hommes battus, c’est monnaie courante"* (Beaten men are commonplace). It critiques societal silence around this issue, framing it as normalized yet invisible: *"Chut! Taisons-nous… / Celui qui en parle est totalement fou"* (Hush! Let’s be silent… / He who speaks of it is entirely mad). The phrase *"des hommes battus"* (beaten men) is repeated like a refrain, emphasizing its prevalence and neglect.
- **Public Spectacle vs. Private Trauma**
The poem juxtaposes a dramatic airplane incident (Parts 1–6) with direct commentary on domestic violence (Part 7). The plane symbolizes a controlled, public space where chaos erupts but is quickly dismissed as a *"blague"* (joke) or *"geste banal"* (banal gesture). This mirrors how male suffering is minimized or hidden, even when exposed:
> *"Les caméras ne pardonnent pas: / Elles ne ratent rien: bien au contraire… / De la diplomatie, c’est le trépas"*
(Cameras don’t forgive: / They miss nothing: quite the opposite… / Diplomacy dies here).
- **Power Dynamics and Complicity**
The incident on the plane—where a woman’s actions destabilize the "secure" presidential entourage—reflects how systems (legal, social) enable cycles of abuse. The line *"Le Chef serait bien avis d’en tirer les leçons"* (The leader would do well to learn from this) suggests institutional failure to address root causes.
- **Irony and Resignation**
The poem uses dark irony to underscore societal hypocrisy. Phrases like *"Contre mauvaise fortune, il faut faire bon cœur"* (Against bad fortune, one must put up a good heart) mock forced optimism in the face of systemic neglect. The closing lines (*"Le mariage c’est souvent un malheureux leurre" / Marriage is often a miserable lure*) frame marriage as a facade masking abuse.
---
#### **Structure and Style**
- **Fragmented Narrative and Symbolism**
The poem is divided into seven parts, mirroring the chaos of the airplane incident. The plane symbolizes societal structures (legal, political) that appear orderly but collapse under scrutiny. The *"kwassa-kwassa"* boats (referenced in footnotes) tie the poem to migration crises in the Indian Ocean, suggesting parallels between displaced migrants and abused men—both marginalized and silenced.
- **Dramatic Irony and Shifting Perspectives**
The narrative shifts from a third-person account of the plane incident to direct, accusatory statements in Part 7. This mirrors the tension between public perception (the plane’s "secure" image) and private reality (abuse hidden behind closed doors).
- **Language and Diction**
- **French Phrases and Mauritian Context**: The poem blends French (*"Le kwassa-kwassa pèche peu"*) with English, reflecting Mauritius’ multilingual identity. The *kwassa-kwassa* reference connects the poem to local/regional issues (e.g., migration from Comoros to Mayotte), grounding its themes in postcolonial geopolitics.
- **Visceral Imagery**: Phrases like *"un pénible embarras"* (a painful embarrassment) and *"un début de tapage"* (the start of an uproar) evoke physical and social discomfort.
---
#### **Literary and Political Context**
- **….. "kwassa-kwassa" Controversy**
The poem’s footnotes reference ….. 2017 joke about *kwassa-kwassa* boats: *"Le kwassa-kwassa pèche peu, il ramène du Comorien!"* (The *kwassa-kwassa* doesn’t fish much, it brings back Comorians!). This remark sparked accusations of racism, as *kwassa-kwassa* boats are used by migrants fleeing poverty in the Comoros. By invoking this, the poem links systemic neglect of male victims to broader failures of governance and empathy.
- **Postcolonial Critique**
Mauritius’ history as a colonial and indentured labor hub informs the poem’s themes of displacement and identity. The *kwassa-kwassa* symbolizes marginalized voices (migrants, abuse victims) ignored by power structures.
- **Comparison to "Papa!"**
Both poems center male vulnerability but differ in approach:
- *"Papa!"* uses Victorian-style dramatic monologue to explore personal trauma.
- *"Il apporte des hommes battus..."* adopts a fragmented, modernist style to critique systemic complicity.
---
#### **Strengths and Critique**
- **Strengths**:
- The poem’s layered structure (narrative + direct address) mirrors the complexity of domestic violence as both personal and societal.
- The *kwassa-kwassa* metaphor powerfully ties intimate violence to postcolonial marginalization.
- **Areas for Development**:
- The shift between French and English might obscure meaning for non-Francophone readers.
- Expanding the link between the plane incident and domestic violence (e.g., through character perspectives) could deepen emotional resonance.
---
#### **Conclusion**
"Il apporte des hommes battus..." is a bold, politically charged work that frames male victimhood as a hidden crisis exacerbated by societal denial. By weaving personal trauma with references to migration and governance (via ….. *kwassa-kwassa* gaffe), the poem challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths about power, silence, and complicity. Its fragmented structure and multilingual voice reflect the fractured realities of those it seeks to represent.
Would you like me to analyze another poem next?
(9)
Soman Ragavan :
Thank you. Please make concluding remarks about how men are treated, especially regarding domestic violence against men, a subject rarely talked about. Mention also the bias against men in custody battles, court battles, public opinion, State responses to such issues, etc.
(10)
MIniMax M1 AI :
### **Concluding Remarks: The Silenced Struggles of Men**
#### **1. Domestic Violence Against Men: A Hidden Epidemic**
The poems *“Planet of Beaten Men”* and *“Il apporte des hommes battus…”* confront a stark reality: male victims of domestic violence are often rendered invisible by societal norms that frame abuse as a gendered crime committed *by* men *against* women[citation:25][citation:26]. Research corroborates this erasure: studies show that **1 in 3 men** experience physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking by an intimate partner[citation:30], yet male victims are **less likely to seek help** due to cultural stigma around masculinity[citation:3][citation:15]. Phrases like *“Les hommes battus, c’est monnaie courante”* (“Beaten men are commonplace”) in *“Il apporte des hommes battus…”* mirror this paradox—abuse against men is widespread but rarely acknowledged. The poem’s imagery of a refuse ground underscores how society discards male suffering, treating it as a joke or triviality[citation:19].
#### **2. Custody Battles: Systemic Bias Against Fathers**
*“Papa!”* dramatizes the anguish of fathers alienated from their children through legal and emotional manipulation. This reflects real-world data: in the U.S., custodial fathers receive only **35% of child custody time** on average[citation:6], while family courts often operate under a *“strong presumption that the mother is a more fit caretaker”*[citation:9]. The poem’s lines *“As often happens, the child goes with the mother, / For, struggle as he may, a loser be the father”* align with critiques of systemic gender bias in family courts[citation:23]. Organizations like SOS Papa (referenced in the poem’s background) highlight how fathers face **economic barriers** (e.g., costly legal battles) and **institutional indifference** (“*they are told that nothing can be done for them*”)[citation:6][citation:13].
#### **3. Public Opinion and Stigma: The “Unmanly” Victim**
The poem’s speaker laments, *“’Tis unmanly to weep”*—a line that encapsulates societal expectations of male stoicism. Research shows that male victims of abuse face **double stigmatization**: they are shamed for “failing” as men (unable to “protect” themselves) and dismissed as weak[citation:16][citation:18]. This mirrors the poem’s portrayal of the father’s tears as *“unseen. Unnotic’d”* and his forced silence (*“A man, a martyr had to hide to cry”*). Media narratives often frame domestic violence as a women’s issue, perpetuating the myth that men cannot be victims[citation:25][citation:27].
#### **4. State Responses: Structural Neglect**
The poem’s critique of *“entrench’d, unspeakable tyranny”* in family courts finds resonance in studies showing that legal frameworks often **ignore female-perpetrated violence**[citation:26]. Services for domestic abuse are overwhelmingly tailored to women, leaving male victims without resources[citation:10][citation:11]. For instance, the U.S. Department of Justice’s grants for protective mothers[citation:13] contrast with the lack of programs addressing male victimization. The poem’s lines *“The procedures are long”* and *“they have to spend a lot of money to be able to see their children”* (from the SOS Papa article) reflect systemic failures to prioritize paternal rights.
#### **5. A Call for Recognition and Reform**
*Poetic Visions Volume 19* challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths: male suffering is real, systemic, and silenced. The archaic dignity of the poems’ language (*“dastardlier blow ’tis hard to find”*) demands that society recognize paternal alienation and male abuse as urgent human rights issues. As the SOS Papa slogan declares: *“living men, dying fathers.”* To heal, we must dismantle gendered assumptions in law, expand support systems for male victims, and amplify voices like Soman’s that refuse to let suffering remain *“unknown to others.”*
This synthesis of poetry and research underscores a critical truth: justice begins with visibility. Until society acknowledges that *all* genders can be victims—and all deserve protection—the “planet of beaten men” will remain a silent, enduring tragedy.
(11)
Soman Ragavan :
Thank you very much. Goodbye for now.
(12)
MIniMax M1 AI :
You're very welcome, Soman. It's been a pleasure engaging with your powerful poetry and the important themes you've explored. Keep writing and giving voice to these vital human experiences. Goodbye for now.
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Author:
Soman Ragavan (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: June 20th, 2025 00:34
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