Thursday, May 29, 2014

Rechoired

Rechoired

Rechoired is an a capella group that creates music to inspire and uplift others. Their number one goal is to prove (especially to the youth) that it is "cool" to live high standards. Through various events such as 'Super Saturdays', concerts, and firesides, members of Rechoired have positively impacted the lives of all who have had the opportunity to listen. While it is an up and coming group, many members of Rechoired got their start with Southern Virginia University's 'The Fading Point', so they have experience touring and performing at various venues including (professional) NBA games."

Hey, my name is Bennie Parker and I am a lead baritone in 'Rechoired'. Please check out our website to learn more about us and watch some performance videos.

We are asking for donations of all sizes to go towards funding for our equipment (mics, sound board, speakers etc) because we know what we have to offer is life-changing and we want EVERYONE to experience it.

Thank you so much for your contribution.

Sincerely,
Bennie Parker of Rechoired
"Music can change the world because it can change people." - Bono
Email: rechoiredacapella@gmail.com Website: http://rechoired.wix.com/rechoired *(Our website will be transferred to the new domain name www.rechoired.com after the 60 day transfer lock.)

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Ode to Friendship of Yore

Couplet 
Once a best Friend not seen in many years was introduced as 'an old Friend'; meaning only, this is a long time Friend of mine. However; the word 'old' was lost in misinterpretation and so forever gone the chance to redefine. ~ndpthepoetress (©BindingInk.org Jean M. Culp ©#75IB9956777)

I may not be the most important person in your life. I just hope that when you hear my name, you smile & say That’s My Friend! (I may not be the most important person in your life, but I just hope that when you hear my name you will just smile and say, “I miss this person”)

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Nightingale of India

poppies
REFLECTIONS ON INDIAN POETRY OF CLASSICAL GENRE: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE CREATIVE GENIUS OF ‘NIGHTINGALE OF INDIA' SAROJINI NAIDU
Author: Dr.Sandhya Tiwari

Globalization has immensely contributed to the recognition of poets and poetry in general. It has transformed our life at immense speed not only to bring to light the past talent but also serving as a platform for those who are creatively responding to it. Today, it has succeeded in making people take note of these changes in culture, poetry and other genres of creative writing. Thanks to all these developments, I could enrich myself.

Incorporating the works of great writers, poets and thinkers into the curriculum is a contribution to the cause of nation. These great personalities, through their writings, are permeating   the young minds with the spirit of patriotism and respect for country. It is an honour and the supreme way to pay homage to literary souls who enriched the literature. It is popularizing the talent, otherwise which would have restricted to a limited people. In comparison to social sciences the chief advantage for a man of letters belonging to language and literature is; his work can be included in the curriculum. The purpose of the government behind this is each and every literate must know the contribution, the role played by such people in the history of India. This can be used constructively to enable students to reach a refined level of awareness. It outlines experiences in teaching English Literature, creates a curiosity and interest, especially if it is related to something which most students can identify with.

In recent years, English- language writers of Indian origin are being published in the West at an increasing rate. In June 1997, a special fiction issue of The New Yorker magazine devoted much space to essays by Amitav Ghosh and Abraham Verghese, a short story by, Vikram Chandra and poems by Jayant Mahapatra (16 volumes of poems) and A.K.Ramanujan and profiled R.K.Narayan and Arundati Roy's "A God of Small Things."

Indians began to use English for creative expression much before Macaulay's "Minutes" and the implementation of his policy on English education. [On March 7, 1835, the Governor General William Bentinck agreed with Macaulay's Minute and wrote, "the great object of the British Government ought to be the promotion of European literature and science among the natives of India," thus promoting and establishing a permanent position for the use of English language in Indian educational institutions.] For instance in 1823, Henry Derozio's volume of poems was published and in 1830 Kashiprasad Ghose published his volume of poetry entitled The Shair and the Other Poems. This two eminent Indians may not be great as poets, but their historical importance is great, for they belong to that small group of Indians who wrote in English much before Macaulay. Michael Madhusudan Dutt, who has left behind two volumes of poetry, was a Bengali poet of talent whose one ambition in life was to win recognition as a writer of English verse. He was the first to make a conscious effort to use Indian imagery, express Indian sentiments and tell an Indian story. Madhusudan was born with rock-like determination. He proved himself to be a student of exceptional gifts, and his teachers and professors with no difficulty recognized in him a fast-blossoming intellectual figure.

Besides a few minor poets of the 19th century, B.M.Malabari is another of repute. In his poems he laments the loss of the virtues of Indian character, ethical values. In such verses speaks the heart of India, yearning for freedom from the foreign clutches.

Swami Vivekanandawas a towering spiritual personality, born in on 12th January 1863, who awakened the slumbering Indian consciousness with his soul stirring vision of a dynamic spirituality. He is often viewed as the patron saint of modern India and many great figures acknowledge the life and works of Vivekananda. He reached Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of the Indian subcontinent on December24, 1892. He swam across the sea and started meditating on a lone rock. He meditated for three days and said later that he meditated about the past, present and future of India. The rock is presently popular as Vivekananda memorial and is a major tourist destination.

In 1893, Swami Vivekananda went to America to attend the Conference of World Religions in Chicago. He earned wild applause for beginning his address with the famous words, "Sisters and brothers of America." Swamiji mesmerized everyone in America with his masterful oratory. Wherever he went, he dwelt at length on the greatness of Indian Culture. He spoke with spontaneous ease on every topic, be it History, Sociology, Philosophy or Literature. The Union Government has declared his birthday as National Youth Day.

Sri Aurobindo Ghosh is another great Indian nationalist, scholar, poet, spiritual philosopher and above all a renowned "yogi", who brought laurels to his motherland, was born on 15th august 1872. Although he wrote mostly in English his major works were translated into 9 foreign languages in addition to 11 Indian languages. "Auroville" is a universal township in the making for a population of up to 50,000 people from around the world. Aurobindo strived for the Transformation of our superficial, narrow and fragmentary human way of thinking, seeing, and feeling. Being into a deep and wide spiritual consciousness and an integrated inner and outer existence and of our ordinary human living into the divine way of life.

In the poetry of Toru Dutt the soul of India is revealed at its best. Many critics revere the first translation, of about 200 French poems, as "transcreation".

In the words of Edmund Gosse, "Toru's chief legacy to posterity is her verse collection Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan (1883) which includes the ancient Hindu stories of Savitri, Sita, Prahlad, Dhruva, and many such appeal to the emotions of love, devotion filial piety, gratitude, etc. it is for the first time purely Indian themes being treated in English against a purely Indian background.

It is Sarojini Naidu, the eldest daughter of scientist-philosopher, Aghornath Chattopadhyaya, and Barada Sundari Devi- a poetess, was born on 13 February 1879 in Hyderabad, who carries forward the task left incomplete by the early demise of Toru Dutt, that of interpreting the soul of India to the West and creating an authentic Indian atmosphere. Her father was also a linguist, a crusader, who established the Nizam's College in Hyderabad in 1878, pioneering English and women's education. Sarojini was a bright child who passed her matriculation at the age of 12 standing first in the Madras Presidency. She studied at the King's college, London and Girton College, Cambridge for a while. During this period her creative urge found expression in poems. She also happened to be a good singer. Her ability to sing charmingly fetched her the title 'Nightingale of India'.

During 1903-17 Sarojini came into contact with Gokhale, Tagore, Jinnah, Annie Besant, C.P.Rama Swami Iyer, Gandhi and Nehru. She began her political career in 1906. From 1915 to 1918 she lectured all over India on welfare of youth, dignity of labour, women's emancipation and nationalism. After meeting Jawaharlal Nehru in 1916, she took up the cause of the indigo workers of Champaran. In 1925 she was elected as the President of the Congress.

Sarojini Naidu, The Nightingale of India, was a great patriot, politician, orator and administrator of India her birthday is celebrated as "Women's Day".

The rhythmic quality of her poetry is mesmerizing frequent references to Hindu mythology accentuate the Indian atmosphere of her verse. She was able to harmonize Indian and foreign elements in her poetry.  Poetry is perception. No doubt we may have different parameters to judge the genius of a poet, yet what is your perception matters a lot.  Highly original and startling similes and metaphors come out of her, as do sparks from a chimney fire. Her originality of expression is commendable with regard to imagery. Highly vivid pictorial and visual imagery are exploited by her to delight and surprise the readers. The figuring of the moon as a caste-mark on the forehead of heaven is in itself a unique achievement of the imagination in poetry and also representative of the Indian ness of her poetry.

A caste mark upon the azure brow of heaven
The golden moon burns sacred, solemn, bright. (Leili)

The image of the river flowing out of the city gates, curved like "the tusks of an elephant" is based on personal observation, and those who have seen the river Musi flowing out of the gates of Hyderabad city can appreciate its justness.

See the white river that flashes and scintillates
Curved like a tusk from the mouth of the city-gates. (Nightfall in the City of Hyderabad By Sarojini Naidu)

Her poetry seems to sing itself, as if her swift thoughts and strong emotions sprang into lyrics of themselves. Though she has been criticized for her many hyperbolic and violent expressions, for her, there are a few critics who defended and asserted boldly that her metaphors and similes.

According to Rajyalakshmi, Sarojoni's similes and metaphors are "pictorial blocks of imagist perceptionand new way of organizing poetic emotion."

The work produced by this writer like John Keats, may not be great in quantity, it is great in quality. She will be remembered for a few fine pieces like The Indian Weavers, The Flute Player of BrindavanTo a Buddha Seated on a Lotus and others.

Though a number of themes are conspicuous in her works they can be classified into five major themes: The Folk Theme, Nature Theme-Spring, The Love Theme, Life and Death Theme and patriotism.

One of the interesting aspects of Sarojini's poetry is the folk theme delicately treated by her. Palanquin Bearers is a perfect example of the true folk-song, a common experience in India half-a-century ago. In this folk theme the poetess exploits the simple joys and hopes and fears and lives of the common folk in town and country exquisitely.

Sarojini had irresistible fascination for nature, she sings of the glories of seasons, particularly spring and summer and also about the individual manifestations of nature's beauty.

Lyricism, love of nature, interest in the past, a melancholic note, dominance of imagination, concern with the common man, emphasis on emotional life, ‘addition of strangeness to beauty', and the beauty of thought, vision, phrase and rhythm are some of the chief characteristics of romantic poetry. They are all profusely scattered all through her poetry. She has written more than 60 poems wherein the theme of love is dominant. This great poetess intricately presents the aches and ecstasies of love.

Arthur Simons commented:

Her poetry seems to sing itself, as if her swift thoughts and strong emotions sprang into lyrics of themselves.

It was about this volume that Symons made some observations that have often been quoted. Referring to a letter from Sarojini , in which she had written  "I sing just as the birds do , and my songs are as ephemeral", he said:

It is for this bird like quality of song; it seems to me, that they are to be valued. They hint, in a sort of delicately evasive way, at a rare temperament of a woman of the east, finding expression through a western language. They do not express the whole of that temperament; but they express, I think. Its essence; and there is an eastern magic in them.

Life, to Sarojini Naidu was not a riddle to be solved; it is a miracle to be celebrated and sung. She may be lacked the philosophical bent but her poems show accumulated wisdom rather than deep insight. In her world life and light are supreme. There are, of course, poems in which she seems to be crushed by pain and grief, but the poems into which she has poured most of her poetic power and skill are those in which there is a note of defiance and of victory over circumstances, over pain and suffering.

Behold I rise to meet the destined spring
And scale the stars upon my broken wing. (Sarojini Naidu, The Broken Wing)

She is equally a poetess of the challenge of suffering, pain and death to life. Sarojini being aware that time is destructive, and nothing can escape its ravages, she welcomes for it is the only way to rejuvenation and new life.

Despite the undercurrent of melancholy and pessimism, Sarojini's poetry is optimistic and forward looking – looking forward to the souls union with the eternal, the infinite, and Time and Death are the means to this union.

O Fate, in vain you hanker to control
My frail, serene, indomitable soul. (A Challenge to Fate by Sarojini Naidu)

As a typical example of such criticism I would like to refer to an essay by James Cousins, who was a friend and admirer of Sarojini has reasonably attributed appreciation for her. Quoting a stanza from one of Sarojini's poems, The Feast, Cousins says:

This stanza, despite its delicate beauty __ or, rather, perhaps the more insidiously because of its beauty __ is a menace to the future of India, because of its perpetuation of the "door-mat" attitude of womanhood, which is at the root of India's present state of degeneracy.

He also praises her not just for her poetic acumen but also for her boldness as a women and adds:
While Mrs.Naidu has broken away the bonds of custom, by marrying outside her caste and by appearing on public platforms, she reflects in her poetry the dependent habit of womanhood that masculine domination has sentimentalized into a virtue. In her life was a feminist up to a point, but in her poetry she remains incorrigibly feminine. She sings, so far as Indian womanhood is concerned, the India that is, while she herself has passed on towards the India that is to be.

Sarojini lived and created in those stirring times when India was passing through the throes of her struggle. The age of great patriots like Gandhi, Tilak and many others influenced her life greatly. After her meeting with Gandhi in 1914, she herself plunged into the thick of the battle. Her love for the nation is reflected in her poetry. Every aspect of Indian life is celebrated in Sarojini's poetry. Indian festivals, Temples, Gods and Goddesses Puranic myths and legends of Radha and Krishna form a major theme of her poetry.

The Gift of India is a poem beautifully depicts the chivalry of Indians during World War I. This lyric is characterized by Sarojini's poetic fervour and by her pride in her own country.
In this moving lyric Mother India herself speaks of the gift she had offered to the world-the invaluable gift: her children and reminds to the world their greatness.

William Heinemann from London published Sarojini's first major book of verse, The Golden Threshold, in 1905. It received very favorable notices in the British press. One reviewer said that the poems were of "undeniable beauty and distinction".

Conclusion:
Thus Sarojini Naidu to quote the words of Dr.Keith, "is a cultured, refined versifier; she is a singer of an aesthetic world", similarly Margaret's throws light remarking: "She is greater than her poems. Her patriosm is the rival even while it is the inspiration of her poetry. For her country she would sacrifice even her beloved gift of song". It is seen that Sarojini Naidu's poetry has won acclaim of a host of discerning critics – both Indian and English.

Primary Sources:
Naidu, Sarojini. Songs, Published privately by Aghorenath Chattopadhya, 1896.
Nilambuja (Prose- Poem), signed Sarojini Chattopadhya, 3 October 1896 (unpublished), Archives, National Library, Calcutta.
The Golden Threshold with an introduction by Arthur Symons, London, William Heinemann, 1905.
The Bird of Time with, an Introduction byEdmund Gosse, London, William Heinemann, 1912.
The Broken Wing : London, William Heinemann, 1917.
The Gift of India : Reprinted from the Report of the Hyderabad Ladies' War Relief Association, Dec. 1915.
The Sceptured Flute with an Introduction by Joseph Auslander, New York, Doad Read & Co., 1937.
The Feather of the Dawn : Bombay, Asia Publishing House, 1961
Speeches and writings of Sarojini naidu : Madras : G.A. Natesan & Co.

Works Cited:
Arthur Symons: Introduction to The Gol;den Theshold . London, William Heinemann, 1905.
Bose, A: "Regal Ground: Sarojini Naidu's Poetry", The Other Harmony, Calcutta: United Writers, Oct. 1938.
Cousins, James H.: New Ways in English literature, Madras: Ganesh & Co., 1949.
Dustoor, P.E. Sarojini Naidu : Stout Hearts and Open Hands, ed. by P.D. Tandon, Bombay: Jaico Publishing House, 1957.
Gupta, Rameshwar : Sarojini Naidu : The Poetess, New Delhi: Doaba House, 1975.
Iyengar, K.R.Srinivasa : Indo-Anglican Literature, Bombay: Karnataka Publishing House, 1945.
Margaret E. Cousins: The Awakening of Asian Womanhood, Madras :1922.
Rajyalakshmi,P.V.: The Lyric Spring: The Poetic Achievements of Sarojini Naidu, New Delhi : Abhinav Prakashan, 1977.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/poetry-articles/reflections-on-indian-poetry-of-classical-genre-with-special-reference-to-the-creative-genius-of-nightingale-of-india-sarojini-naidus-po-3335800.html

About the Author
Working as Associate Professor at Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology(SNIST), Dr.Sandhya Tiwari has published a book titled THE SILENT STORM - Poems by Dr.Sandhya Tiwari.
Published.

"Song of a Dream" by Reginald Unterseher 


Sarojini Naidu with Mahatma Gandhi
post by BindingInk.org

Tuesday, May 06, 2014

Laundry - Ug

prozacWho likes doing laundry? Except for those Martha Stewart ‘Washabuzybees’, hardly anyone! It’s another chore on that invisible, endless list of things that need to be done. Like grocery shopping, if you want to eat. House cleaning, if you don’t want your place to be condemned. (Nothing like a wrecking ball to wreck your life.) Work, if you don’t want to be homeless. Yes, that wonderfully invisible, forever increasing - better known as, the 'to-do' list. Wouldn’t life be much simpler if everyone just went around stinking dirty, hungry, and homeless? Think about how much time could be saved! And no more spending your hard earned money on another endless list of ‘things to buy’ to get the to-do list done. Like deodorant, laundry detergent, dish detergent, soap, food, lights, rent, mortgage… Instead of dying filthy rich, by working ourselves to death - we all could just die from stinkin’ starvation. Well, that just seems a little too ‘foul’ for me. So where was that freakin’ list, oh yes laundry. Meanwhile; when we launder those wearable items, wouldn’t it be nice if we could also just wash our problems away! Apparently, now we can with 'Prozac Mood Brightener, Wash Your Blues Away!'

Well Happy Washing Readers! May you often see the rainbow, in spite of the rain.


9 lies your mother told you about cooking, laundry, dishes
Live 5 News Investigates: Suds for Drugs

Adams laundry comics laundry

Quantum Journey Into The Matters of the Heart

Mark Oliver Everett, an extraordinary man in his own right; also known as E is a successful songwriter, the lead singer and guitarist for the indie rock band Eels, and the Author of ‘’. The question is why at the age of 40 would this seemingly ordinary man, who admittedly has an average or below intelligence embark on an incredible journey involving quantum physics?

The answer would only partially involve the fact that his Father is Hugh Everett III, an American physicist (mathematician and quantum theorist) who first introduced the possibility of Parallel Worlds. Also known as the “1many-worlds interpretation (MWI) of quantum physics. In layman's terms, this means that there is a very large, perhaps infinite, number of universes and that everything that could possibly happen in our universe (but doesn't) does happen in some other universe(s).”

To comprehend more about why E would even begin to venture into the world of quantum physics, one only needs to read his book description. “How does one young man survive the deaths of his entire family and manage to make something worthwhile of his life? In ‘Things The Grandchildren Should Know’ Mark Oliver Everett tells the story of what it's like to grow up the insecure son of a genius in a wacky Virginia Ice Storm-like family. Left to run wild with his sister, his father off in some parallel universe of his own invention, Everett's upbringing was 'ridiculous, sometimes tragic and always unsteady'. But somehow he manages to not only survive his crazy upbringing and ensuing tragedies; he makes something of his life…”

E has stated that ‘the only one really intimate experience’ he had with his Father was when his Dad died of a fatal heart attack on July 19, 1982 at the age of 51. E’s ‘2 sister, Elizabeth, long troubled by schizophrenia, committed suicide in 1996, and two years later in 1998 his mother, Nancy Everett née Gore, died of lung cancer.’

And so in an 3Original PBS Broadcast, “Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives”; E is followed ‘across the country as he attempts to understand the fantastic possibility of parallel universes and unravel the story of his troubled family and the father he never really knew… In this intelligent and imaginative film, the wry and charismatic Mark takes an emotional journey into his father's life… It is only by entering the esoteric world of quantum physics that Mark can hope to gain an understanding of, and more importantly, a connection to the father who was a stranger to him.’

The cross country journey consist of going to the Pentagon and Princeton. Additionally; ‘Hugh's old college friends, colleagues, and admirers, MIT physicist Max Tegmark…’ assist. Also E is shown several experiments to help explain the theory proposed by his Father. Experimentations such as the and Schrödinger's cat. Though Schrödinger's cat is merely a thought experiment, Hugh Everett’s Parallel Worlds theorem states that both outcomes can actually happen.

E was astonished to realize he was easily comprehending his Father’s theory and more importantly his Father. Basically; “Hugh Everett proposed a multitude of universes, each a home to an alternate reality, including alternate versions of you and me.” To which E ultimately stated, “To the me that split off who didn't come on this trip—you lazy sack o'shit—because I mean, I really feel propelled by the sadness of the tragedy of my father not getting the recognition he deserved, because he was just too far ahead of his time, maybe too smart too soon.”

Perhaps in addition to the Parallel Worlds theory we might consider the ‘Split Apart’ analogy from the movie "The Butchers Wife". 4”The reference was to a theory that the gods looked upon man and he was happy, and in envy decided to split man and woman apart." Every since we have been looking for our other half, our Soul Mate so to speak. 4”However; there is no work by Plato called The Corruption as mentioned in the movie. Instead the story is to be found in the speech of Aristophanes in the dialogue called The Symposium” ( Aristophanes's Speech from Plato's Symposium):

5Now the sexes were three, and such as I have described them; because the sun, moon, and earth are three; and the man was originally the child of the sun, the woman of the earth, and the man-woman of the moon, which is made up of sun and earth, and they were all round and moved round and round because they resembled their parents. Terrible was their might and strength, and the thoughts of their hearts were great, and they made an attack upon the gods; of them is told the tale of Otys and Ephialtes who, as Homer says, attempted to scale heaven, and would have laid hands upon the gods… Zeus spoke and cut men in two, like a sorb-apple which is halved for pickling, or as you might divide an egg with a hair; and as he cut them one after another, he bade Apollo give the face and the half of the neck a turn in order that man might contemplate the section of himself: he would thus learn a lesson of humility. Apollo was also bidden to heal their wounds and compose their forms. So he gave a turn to the face and pulled the skin from the sides all over that which in our language is called the belly, like the purses which draw tight, and he made one mouth at the centre, which he fastened in a knot (the same which is called the navel); he also molded the breast and took out most of the wrinkles, much as a shoemaker might smooth leather upon a last; he left a few, however, in the region of the belly and navel, as a memorial of the primeval state...



And so rather we are searching for a Soul Mate or perhaps the ‘Split Apart’ theory might help explain why many of us humans need to understand whence we came from rather hereditarily or as an entity, or maybe in fact the Parallel Worlds is merely where our ‘Split Apart’ is; I hope one day E will also learn, along with many other People that 6there are links between quantum mechanics, neurobiology, human consciousness, day-to-day reality, talk about the consciousness, psi research, physics, biology, emotions, addictions, and that those same revolutionary quantum experiments E saw are evidence that there is a definite mind-body connection proving that we and our world are not separate, but connected.

Things the Grandchildren Should Know
Written by MARK OLIVER EVERETT

I go to bed real early
Everybody thinks it's strange
I get up early in the morning
No matter how disappointed I was
With the day before
It feels new

I don't leave the house much
I don't like being around people
Makes me nervous and weird
I don't like going to shows either
It's better for me to stay at home
Some might think it means I hate people
But that's not quite right
I do some stupid things but my heart's in the right place
And this I know

I got a dog
I take him for a walk
And all the people like to say hello
I'm used to staring down at the sidewalk cracks
I'm learning how to say hello
Without too much trouble

I'm turning out just like my father
Though I swore I never would
Now I can say that I have love for him
I never really understood
What it must have been like for him
Living inside his head

I feel like he's here with me now
Even though he's dead

It's not all good and it's not all bad
Don't believe everything you read
I'm the only one who knows what it's like
So I thought I'd better tell you
Before I leave

So in the end I'd like to say
That I'm a very thankful man
I tried to make the most of my situation
And enjoy what I had
I knew true love and I knew passion
And the difference between the two
And I had some regrets
But if I had to do it all again
Well, it's something I'd like to do



YouTube Eels - Things The Grandchildren Should Know


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APRIL 22, 2014: "The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett, the 11th Eels record since 1996’s Beautiful Freak, is one of the most searingly personal documents the man called E has cooked up yet. It’s the first time his real name and unobscured face have appeared on the cover, and it’s a spiritual successor to his 2008 autobiography, Things the Grandchildren Should Know." (Eels Q&A and Playlist: ‘The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett’)

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