English Literature made easy - Poetry

Youth - Richard de Zoysa

Richard de Zoysa is a Sri Lankan poet, he tries to introduce 'youth' which seems to express his ideas about love and youth. He speaks more about love than youth, carrying a complicated idea with a strong effect on love.

The opening line of the poem highlights the first love comparing love to a seabird flying high above and thrusting suddenly into the black waters 'Plunging from the wheeling heights of ecstasy.

Into black waters"

Purely spiritual love, harmless confined only to expressions and having passed this stage and then to worldly pleasure, the 'Carnal Love' "When the first Love dies, it is like a seabird plunging from the wheeling heights of ecstasy

Into black waters."

Rejecting all religious and moral principles, the mentality of the person concerned is expressed by the words

"There is a moment, as you rip through the heaving surface when sensation is all"

The imagination of the poet is highlighted by the words;

"Then down,

down, chasing the winking gleam of a fish

until reality clasped firmly in your beak

You emerge....rocket like..."

The emotion, the instinctive feeling of the man is emphasised by the writer in a distinctive manner.

His 'Carnal love' is compared to a bird symbolising the actions of the man and then the thrill is no more.

"the day goes on but the thrill is gone soon comes night"

Heavy with his sad feeling "the thrill is gone"

he gets on his way sad and thoughtful.

His youth has disappeared.

"No more the high flung heights. No more the light fantastic on the gusty winds Security is all."

Turning from 'youth' to maturity he becomes conscious of 'security'

The poet's imagination is clearly emphasised in 'reality clasped firmly' in its 'beak' after 'chasing the winking gleam of a fish'

In this poem Richard de Zoysa tries to express a man's 'adult interpretation' of Love - making Love as a youth and then maturing to the state of an adult, from Romance to man and woman Relationship.

Richard de Zoysa tries to convey his ideas to the reader through symbolism. The poet's imagery is in superb manner so as to create the visual image of the incidents presented by the poet.

Reaching maturity, with "feeling of Security" emphasising youth's love reaching maturity. The poet's "powerful imagery" portrays how romance develops into Love matured, reaching security. Richard de Zoysa's diction style simple but powerful and imagination reigns throughout.

Symbolism and Imagery depicting the passionate desires of youth and the state of a man reaching maturity "with feeling of security" "youth" portrayed as Romance. Later maturity setting in with the "feeling of security". However, the experiences described by the poet seem to be too matured for the young teenager.

Mrs. C. Ekanayake,
Retd. Specialist Teacher Eng.