FEARFUL SYMMETRY

Fearful Symmetry: To Blake's 'Burning Bright' in a Crucial Juncture

- Pratik Mahapatra

Oh Dear Tiger, 'Burning Bright'

Is it your forest of the night?

Piercing, twisting pairs of eyes

Stealthy blow in your 'fearful symmetry!'

Scratching the greens, thudding the sky —

I can hear the threads of spy!

On what gem 'dare he aspire?'

How on earth is he seizing the fire?

In which prospect, in which art

Could you spare your golden heart?

A trembling lust just 'began to beat.'

With which thunder will come your feat?

Hammering, shivering fates - so chained!

Little to wonder, so much gained. 

Rays to prosper? A deadly grasp!

Tiger jungle in the clasp.

Still when thought will mark its spears

Still some bowers, still some tears.

Will soul let it happen to see?

Till the last breathe, promise we —

Oh Dear Tiger, 'Burning Bright'

It's YOUR forest of the night.

With your grace, with passion high

Grumbling fate we must defy.

— A 3:00 am aesthetic? Just don't know. Yestereve in my previous flashback on last year's write-up on the International Tigers Day, I was in a state of flux — whether or not there would be a rendering from my end this year. A couple of minutes ago, daringly I tried to manifest the pull at the heartstrings by attempting a humble shadowing (I won't call it a parody, nobody will perhaps) of William Blake's "Tyger" from Songs of Experience (1794). Perceivers are requested to be considerate towards some of the unsymmetric gests of metrical scheme. One may see it to be a monologue, asking the tiger about its uncertain faith. Yet an unseen tinge of commitment is never to be missed out. Unfolding the heart's child of this year's Tigers Day for you warm embracement. Dedicating this humble rendering to Rajarshi Uncle (Rajarshi Banerji), whom I always silently look up for his scintillating compositions on tigers and wildlife, and his heart-warming thoughts. My warm regards to you. And to all of us who love this majestic feline, let there be a really, really luminous prospect! Featured one is Naina (KTR T75) from Kanha Tiger Reserve, scanning her domain, back in January 2018.

Original Text:

TYGER 

BY WILLIAM BLAKE 

Tyger Tyger, burning bright, 

In the forests of the night; 

What immortal hand or eye, 

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies. 

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

And when thy heart began to beat.

What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? what dread grasp.

Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears 

And water'd heaven with their tears:

Did he smile his work to see?

Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger burning bright,

In the forests of the night:

What immortal hand or eye,

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

THE CHAMELEON DIARY (30 JUNE 2022)

RARELY DOES one get a chance to serve Nature, and when destiny chooses us for her own sake, magic happens. I have been associated with a dedicated nature study camp called Prakriti Paather Pathshala here at Tamluk, East Midnapore for nearly a decade, and have conducted many sessions with the school kids to help them identify birds, butterflies and other faunal and floral diversity. This is where I first derived the sap of maxim that enables one to assess and understand the significance of animal rescue operations and their apt relocation. 

  It all started when I received a phone call from Aranya, one of my students stating that an Indian chameleon has been located and protected by some of the residents of a suburb area called Nimtouri. A native species, the Indian chameleon (Chamaeleo zeylanicus) is a species of chameleon, usually found in the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka and other parts of South Asia. Like other chameleons, this species has a long tongue, feet that are shaped into bifid claspers, a prehensile tail, independent eye movement, and the ability to change skin colour. They move slowly with a bobbing or swaying movement and are usually arboreal. Strangely, they do not choose the background colour and may not even be able to perceive colour differences. They are usually in shades of green or brown or with bands. They can change colour rapidly and the primary purpose of colour change is for communication with other chameleons and for controlling body temperature by changing to dark colours to absorb heat. 

  When they tried to communicate with the local Forest Department, there was not any reciprocal gest to be cherished from their end. Previously I happened to conduct a few more rescues and treatments and from time to time, there was an urgency to bridge up with the officials for the sake of better accommodation for the animal. Like every time they have done in the past, the department officials rather preferred to take an indifferent stance, letting alone the situation in a state of flux, having no promising resolution at all. One of my close acquaintances suggested that I should be choosing a preferable area for the lizard to set it free since the forest officials' response might not be trusted with ample conviction. Having a fixed direction in my mind, I went to the spot and collected the scintillating reptile in an enclosure, and subsequently set it free in one of my neighbouring areas where the biodiversity is rich enough and the chameleon is sure to be substantiated by an ample supply of his kind of prey base and sanctuary. The joy of accompanying it turned out to be a real marker of my day and as I said, these are the rare moments presented to us to convey our best to preserve the valuable eco-jewels that we are having.