The Poetry of Syed Ameeruddin: A Thematic Appraisal

Abstract

Syed Ameeruddin, born on 5^th December 1942 at Guntakal-A.P. (India) took his agonal last breath on November 28, 2020 in Chennai of Tamil Nadu. As a poet, critic, New College Professor and Founder of the International Poet’s Academy he earned a distinguished place among Indian English Writers of today by dint of his unfailing hard work, compositions and oeuvres. His magnum opus— Visions of Deliverance with epical grandeur explores the infinite reality in its multifarious existential dimensions ranging from mundane and temporal to the mesmerizing eternal lands of everlasting beauty signifying what in Indian lexicon is termed as Sat-Cit-Ananda— Existence, Consciousness and Bliss. The book has 30 lively poems bright like gems beaded in a string. All the poems move in a perpetual movement to create emotion, feelings of auspicious joy as at the birth of a biological being and his/her upbringing. His humanitarian concerns, philosophical backdrops, metaphysical preoccupations together solve/ resolve the chaotic realities and sparkles of life with illuminating zest and determination in a diction which applies simplicity, directness, lucidity and a lilting mode. Accordingly, he emerges as a poet with multiple hues magical and vibrant embracing verbal ecstasy, visual beauty and imagistic delicacy. Imagery and symbolism that are richly present in abundance in Ameeruddin’s poetry which has been discussed in this paper at length with appropriate citations from the text. What is more enticing to his poetry is the discovery of hitherto unfathomed secret spheres of darkness pertaining to culture, heritage and civilization. As an entertainer in poetry, he attempts to explore broader ranges of human thoughts, lived experiences, mundane, cosmic and apocalyptic visions to entertain; simultaneously to transport his discerning readers into the world of his noble creation. The subjective elements delicately connect to the events/activities of his own times. As a master craftman the poet brilliantly illustrates in his long poem the subjective imagery of his Grandson which brings to fore surrealistic and long-winded phrases. A study of all salient features such as—the artistic representation of the theme, musical texture, use of native tongue, poetic mission, prophetic utterances and lyrical grandeur has tersely been done to focus on Ameeruddin’s life and the whole gamut of his literary output with particular reference to Visions of Deliverance.