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Premchand - Aim of Literature

Speech from The Great Munsi premchandji thakur maharaj

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Snehal Sinha
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4K views8 pages

Premchand - Aim of Literature

Speech from The Great Munsi premchandji thakur maharaj

Uploaded by

Snehal Sinha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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+ wo Appendix *3- The Aim of Literature! Gentlemen, this conference ita landmark in ou literary history. To te, our conferences and atocatons have uslly only dscused| language and language propaganda, Sormuch so thatthe first modern} lceatre available in ind and Urdu was wren noc with thea of ‘moulding ideas and feeling bat only inorder to crate the ngaage ‘That too, wat. important ask. Until it acquires a stable xed frm, where will a Language find the capaciy to express thoughts and feeling? We would be ungrateful if we di aot fee thankful towards those languige ‘pioneers’ who cleaed our path by creating the Hindustani language They have done a gret thing for our national ‘community Languages 4 means, not an end. Now that our language has acquired a sable form we should move o aad turn our attention to the content and the sim for which that foundational work ws started inthe fist place. The language in which works ike Bagh babs and ‘Buia acc marked the peak of service to iteratrebas ow ‘become a suitable medium for enquiry ito scholarly and wientfic matters. This conlerence marks the ler eecogition ofthis fact et ch ie th it Progeine We in rns Kaeo, laa, Sa Appenslix Language is both for ondinary conversation and for writing The language of ordinary conversation exsed albo atthe time of Mir Azuma and Lalli but the language in which they took ther fist cutive eps was the writen laaguage, and that ie Uteratue. Ord. ny conversation serves to impress our ideas upon our frends and clove ones to draw out our flings of joy and sadness, Writers do the thing with ther pens. True, thei audience is much wide, aif ‘heir words contain some truth the works continue alla the nears fr centuries, To not mean 10 say, however that anything that i literature. Wecall literature awork which expresses some tut, whose Language ismatue, polished and besuiful and which asthe ability to leave at impression on the heart and mid. In erature, this power ‘merges in full when it isthe trths and experiences of ile tat find cxpresion. Although we once used to be impressed by stories of ragical adventures, ghost tales and romances of pated lovers, now ‘hey has old any interes for us. Undoubtedly awrite who knows ‘uan ature can desribe the truths of life even in ale of magic and in love sories about princes and princess, bur this confirms the dictum that in onder for ltertar 0 exer any influence h necessarily to mirror the truths of ie. Then you can turn t any way you vwant—even the tale ofa cock-sparcow or the roe and the sighting an come handy There hare been many definitions of literature, but in ny opinion the best definition for it isthe citi of life Whether in the fora, ‘of an esay ora poem, literature should ericize and explain ile, The age that we have jus crossed had ao concern for life: Our literary pope would use their imagination to conjure magic works, wether it was Esc eA, Botan Kal or Chandvaksta Seat The im of those tle was simply to entertain and sasfy ou ast for ‘he wondrous. Tat literature should have anything todo with ile was beyond imagination. A story is a story, le i ife—the two were considered opposites. Similarly, pots were tainted by individualism The satsution of desire was their ial of love the satiation of the ‘eyes ther ideal of beauty, Poesy’ cizcles would display thei reworks and tlens in onder vo express these erotic fclngs. A new wordplay a new fancy was enough to cara prune however distan they might have been from objective realty. Fania images involving ciyana (nes) and gas (ag) arg ightaing) and hums (heapsack) were wed with such sil to illustrate the various stats of despair and suffering of the lover separated from his beloved thatthe listeners ‘would have to clasp thet bosoms. And just how popstar this kind of poetry sill coday, is something you and know very well “There is no dole that the aia of poctry and of literature is co sharpen our perceptions, but human lie snot jut confined vo love ‘berween man and woman. Can literature whose themes are confined fo the emotional states of love and the pain of weparation and despair that spring from i, veratre which believes tha escaping from the problem of the work isthe meaning of lie, answer our needs for "oughts and flings? The mental and emotional sates of love ate ‘only part of human ile, and iterate remaias largely conned to ‘hem it brings litle honoue to the comusisy and the age it belongs toxand their ast, ‘Whether in Hindi or Urdu, poetry was pretty much in the same ‘condition. Iris not easy to eeauin uninfluenced bythe popula icra and poetic tase of one's age. And everybody longs for pre snl appreciation For pots, poetry was thst meansof livelihood and who butthe wealthy elites cou appreciate pctry? Our poets never bathe chance to confront ordinary life nor cou they be iaueneed by is ‘wuts and they wereallrch nd poor, victims ofa ener intellectual ‘isi which meant that uo meatal and intellectual life was left ‘We cannot blame the literary poople ol vhatpetiod for this Litera ture s but a miror of ies age. The same flings and thoughts which imate people’ hearts also come to dominate literature. In that decadent ge, people either made love or became engeesedin spiritual ‘matters and scescism. And when iteratue comes tobe sea though the filer of the world’s transience, when each and every word is solowted with despair and filled wit moanings about the iniquity of she times oF reflects erotic feling, you can rest asured that the ‘national community willbe crapped in inertia and decadence and wil have no strength of purpose and sirvgge lt twill have bladed ef "ohh ideals and wil los ts ability cose and understand the world However our lise hanging rapidly. Nowadays lier ce not just mea torFelaationithasafunter aim apar om ete. {ainmieat. Ino Tonge only tes sis of happy and uasppy loves buck ponders on the prablemsaf ile and solves thers oo, ena longer echt inspiration and vigout from wondrous aad supelying salen or allure in alliteration, but concern ill with sues afetng society and individuals, Cuseenly, god lierature i judged by the sharpness of is peceprion, which sits ou felis and thoughts ato motion The aims of ethics and of Ieritute are the saree diflerence teaching Ehic tiesto mould intligence snd ‘arate through arguments and preaching, while the chose fick of literature are mental and emotional sates, Whatever we seein our lives ind whatever experiences and blows we encounter once they reach he imagination they inspite brary creativity. The shapes pot ot Lowniteris the more atrative and of high onde the literary work wil bes A iterate wish brings nochallne Provide us with mental and spstual satisfaction, which docs noe asaken strength andl dynaznisin within uy which fails to eae rom slumber our sense of beauty. atl which doesnot produce im us tre determination and true resolve ro overcome liculier~such alters. lure sof no we to us ody and it snot even worthy ofthe name. lo crler times, religion kept society in check, Religious impera loves were the hiss forthe spiritual and ethical eiviiey of many ah 'igion used either fear of teward—vircue or gin a9 is instrument "Now literature has taken this ask upon island is iastrument isthe love of beauty Literature tries to ataken in man this love for best. het i 0 human being who doxs not have «pereeption of heauty. Aad the more developed an ative this teadeacy isin a writes the "ore influetil his or her work willbe, By contemplating nature and sharpening perception, the writer's snse of beauty becomes x0 acute ‘hat anything uly, uncivilized and lacking in homanness becomes Unbearable co itm and he will stack t with words and feelings lt ther words ne could say tha the wrice weaves a ok of ss dvineses an ivy eis che duty of a writer to suppor and Usfead those who are in some way oppressed, sullering or deprived, rtastes, which doesnot ether they be individuals or groups. He pleads usice on theit behalf ad consiers himsl! sucessful when theough his effort the ours ease of justice and Beaty isa akened Appendix However, unlike an inaocence of his clients using jst any hinds ‘snot employ exaggeration, nor sam he spi ale. ta tythe Weterknows, such methods alo make sy impression. Society can change ts heat only wien be docs not shyaninch from the wath, thers the jury wll ort aad pinion and will cide aginst him. A writer writes sores, but hesping ie mind reality. writer shapes images, bu so that they may be ave and capresive. A writer surveys human nature with sharp eyes, studies psychology andres o have characters who behave in evry sistion 28 if they were made of flesh and blood, Thanks to natural empathy and love of beauty, writer ean reach even the most subtle sess wich ‘human beings ate usally unable to reach boats of teie humanity ‘The tendency towards depicting realy is growing 50 much so ‘modern literature that stories nowadays try not to pu beyond the limits of direct experience. We arent content o think tha characters resemble rea human beings in their psychological makeup, bat we ‘want tobe sure that they realy are huatan beings and thatthe writer has suceeded as rch as posible, in writing thet lie story Because ‘weno longer believe in characters crested roms fantasy thet ats aa thoughts til. impees us. We want co rt asured that what the ‘writer has creas based om atl experiences achat he all ‘peaking through hs characters. That is why some critical lneratse the psychological history ofa writer ‘These event or station does ot lave the sme impression on everyone, Every person hasa dlerentmieaalty and pitt of views A siters ability isin having the reader spre wih his own mentality ‘oF way of looking at things. Herein lesan author's sucess, Ac the same tine, we abo expect every writer to awaken ut seme and broaden our meatalhorizon thanks to his wide knowledge and bret ‘of ideas vision shouldbe suble, deep and wide crouse at ie us spiritual plessuce and scent. In every individual, whatever sage of elfreform he or she may be at ies the potential each a beter state ut we ae aeted by our weaknesses a by diseases. Justa physical health i our nitual se sd sickness sis opposite inthe sate way metal and tor eal are aso our natural sates, and we are unhappy about uur mental and ‘moral deficiencies in the Same way as sick peson i unhappy ahout dinary hye, 4 writer cannor plead for the Appendix hs sickness. And just aa patent heeps searching for «ere, we, to strive to get rid of our weaknesses in onder to become Better uma beings. We go in search of holy mien and jaye, perdort religious rituals sit atthe fet of our cer, cen to the sermons of wise mem, study literature. Ks our lowly tases ad our lack of love thar are sponsible for ll our weakneses, How can weaknesses port where {ere is tue love for beauty and wie ranging lone? Love the ral spiritual food, and all weaknesses stem from aot geting the loed or fom getting tia apolated form, The writer ot atin predues wah ss this experience of beauty andthe warm sir of love, One sentence, one wordone hint and we fe itp inside, But wa the aria bined is drunk with love for beauty anid his own souls itup by ti igh, how caa he bestow it upon as? Te question is: what is beauty? ‘This som like 4 meaningless ‘weston aft sight, because we have no doubt in our minds ee what beauty is, We have Seen the su sve and act we have seen the slow of dawn an sunset, we have sea fragrant flowers bids chirping sweaty, brooks gurgling gently, springs dancing” this besucy, Why do we fst happy nse when we see thee things? Bocas of the harmony of colour and sound Music bewitehes ts cause of the harmony between musical instruments. We ourselves have heen cre ated by diferent elements coming together in equil mesure, and Uherefore our soul is const yearning, for that hartaony ad ba ance, Literature express an ats’ spiritual harmoay ia 4 viable fore, And harmony creates Beauty, it doesnot destroy tle teeny 9 mithin ws telings of loyalty, eruclulness, sympathy, love for instce and equal. And wherever these elings xis ind seg ssa ie; wherever they are absent we fad division, oppositions sf scerest, hatred, enmity and death "Tis alienation abd confln ae sigos of a le contrary 40 nature, jst sickness is gn of an snnatural way of life. How ean narrow mindedness and self nvrent Ponsbly exist where affinity with Ife and equality exia? When our soulismurtured inthe free atmosphere of natute the gett of Benet and wichednes de oftheir own accor, exposed to the ight sod the se Is by seing oneself apart fom life that all these tect and otional disease ate created. Literature makes out ives satura and free In other words, i is thanks to Iteraure that our minds are Appendix The Progressive Writes” Association sists matrally progressive. Were this not his nature he would probably not be an aria. A writer i somcone whe fee something licking. both within and also ouside himell histo ‘remedy this lick that hs soul is tenes, A writer fees that the ‘dividual and society ae notin the happy an carte sate he oF she ‘would like to se them in. This is why he chates under the present ‘mental and social conditions, He wants opt amend to these unpleas ant conditions so thatthe world can become a better place to live and ‘odie. This pai, this feeling keeps is brain and hear active Hisar ladea with pain, cannot bea 0 see aay group sullering ner the constant of rules and conventions. Why eanaot we find the neeial ‘ofree tha group trom slavery and poverty? The more acutely awrier fecls this pn, the greater the force and suth his work will produce, How a writer mansgesto contol the intensity with which he percey sions are expresed is he ere of his cra Its perhaps aecesary to emphasize this special quality here because ot every writer o author has the sume understanding of progeess (wnat) What on community considers o be progress, another may well consider decadence a for this reason the writer doesnot wane to subject his two any objective To the writer, at means the expression of mental dapontaoms wha ‘vee good or bat fice they may have oa individ or nocety What {mean by progress ste condition which produce sas the resolve and energy to act that which makes us realize the uahappy state we area, the internal and external causes whic have bee oe ‘o ths weetched and lifeless tte and that which makes ws vee to remove thea ‘To me, postic eas have no meaning if shey maak the imperms nence ofthe world havea stronger holdover our heats (out monthly journals ae filled with these des) ad if they do not arouse within 4ynamism and zeal. i we tell he story of ewo young avers it sway that makes no impact on out love of beauty and only mas wx weep for them because they are apar, wht movetnent have we bought to the ming and tate? Perhaps once pple di get sentimental shout them, but nowadays these stories ae sce. The ime fortis snus ‘mental artis gone, Nowadays We aeed an art which caves smesage ol ation, Now ao say with Mitr gba Appendix klum srmidaa nang tae ar Ba ashiya oa sasbinum se azar para [ufyou researching forthe waterflie you will not indi bt amis Fora reso go ands i the ocan i aharmeh neveo in the eo oy fying An sometimes on roe branch, tometer on the beak oe In other wos,

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