Poetry and Nationalism: Comparative analysis of Emerson and Mehjoor

Abstract

Poets are the nation builders. Poets have always fueled the nationalistic movements all over the world from ancient times. Whatever be the nativity of the poets, they use the same motifs, themes and the historical representations in order to proclaim the nationalistic fervor. I have chosen two representative poets of the east and the west and under different political conditions to argue their similarities on the subject of nationalism. Ralph Waldo Emerson from America and Gulam Ahmad Mehjoor from Kashmir are the subject of my analysis. Both these poets are great in their own field. But they have the same nationalistic zeal. Both these poets advice and entreat both leaders and the common men to stand and defend their nation with courage, proper dedication and spirit. The focus of my study is to compare the two great poets on the theme of nationalism. There are many things common between the two poets such as veneration for nature, mysticism, belief in communal harmony and fraternity, and above all zeal of nationalism. Although they lived in different times and situations they deal with the subject of national consciousness in the same manner and brevity.