Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Siyabaslakara" is a poem by Michael Ondaatje, a Sri Lankan-Canadian author and poet, known for his lyrical prose and evocative imagery. The poem was published in 1982 in Ondaatje's collection of poems "There's a Trick with a Knife I'm Learning to Do: Poems 1962-1978".

Explanation:

The poem is about a man called the Siyabaslakara, who is a traditional Sri Lankan artist that specializes in creating intricate designs with rice flour. The speaker of the poem watches the Siyabaslakara as he creates his art, admiring his skill and precision. However, the speaker also notes the fleeting nature of the art form, as the designs are easily destroyed and washed away.

Poetic Elements:

• Form: The poem consists of four stanzas, each with four lines.
• Imagery: Ondaatje's use of vivid imagery helps to evoke the beauty and delicacy of the Siyabaslakara's art, as well as the impermanence of it. For example, "his hands move like fireflies" and "the rice flour fall[s] like lace".
• Tone: The tone of the poem is one of admiration and respect for the Siyabaslakara's skill and artistry, as well as a sense of nostalgia for a disappearing tradition.

Conclusion:

"The Siyabaslakara" is a poem that celebrates a traditional Sri Lankan art form and the artist who practices it. Through Ondaatje's use of vivid imagery and skillful language, the reader is transported to the moment of watching the Siyabaslakara at work, appreciating both the beauty and fleeting nature of his creations.

Poem Snippet:

"His hands move like fireflies

as he sprinkles the rice flour

and the design unfolds

like lace before us."

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