A Requiem to Mother Earth

Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup aka O.N.V. Kurup’s contribution in the literary sphere of Kerala is broadly esteemed for his finesse in poetry. He began his poetic career as a representative of the ‘Pink Era’ in Malayalam and his poetry is marked by the manifestation of highly evocative images of nature.

O.N.V. Kurup, a poet, lyricist, teacher, and inspiration for all has held generations in awe with his imaginative and intuitive skills, creativity, and poetic lingos. He was born on May 27, 1931, at Chavara, in Kollam District, where he completed his schooling. His first major effort in poetry began during his school days, which also saw his first published poem ‘Munnottu’ (Forward) in 1946, penned in the backdrop of his patriotic feelings. The poetic aspects of the epic, Adhyatma Ramayanam, and its style have had a major influence and impact later in his career as a poet.

Honors and appreciations have always been a part of his life. Agni Salabhangal the poetic work by Mr. Kurup was awarded the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1971. He was also awarded the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in 1975 for his poem Aksharam. A noted poetic work of Mr. Kurup titled ‘Uppu’ won the Soviet Land Nehru Award in 1981 and also the Vayalar Rama Varma Award in 1982. He has also won the Kerala State film awards twelve times, for the best lyricist. He was awarded Padmashri in 1998, Jnanpith in 2007, and Padma Vibhushan in 2011. I was so touched by the verses of his renowned poem ‘A Requiem to Mother Earth’ (Bhoomikku Oru Charamageetham). He addresses the issues of ecological preservation and the unsympathetic ways in which landscape is commodified and divided up by human beings for egocentric motives. He urges human beings to be grateful to Mother Earth for nurturing and fostering them. O.N.V. points out that human beings are not affectionate to mother earth. He defines that mother Earth has fed human beings with her own milk by eliminating her greenery dress and the verdant hues. Even after drinking her milk, humans were not able to satiate their thirst and they began to suck her blood too. His poem is a dirge for mother Earth and the poet anticipates the death of our mighty Earth. He begins the requiem with an epigraph:

‘A song of praise
For this earth
For its surge of life
For poetry, the essence of its beauty…’

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