I opened the book, here and there, and my cursory glance met with certain spurts of genius. There was before me the vision of a bud that could blossom one day into fascinating flower to adorn the garden of English poetry. To reach that pinnacle, however, sincerity, purity, fortitude, patience, perseverance and learning, besides the general pre-requisites, such as imagination, wit, faculty of expression and command over language were necessary.
The first two poems are hymns about the omnipresence of God. Quite naturally my thought went to a poem “The Omnipresence of Lord”, written by Montgomery. My acquaintance with this poem was due to its review written by Lord Macaulay in 1830. Literary Essay of Lord Macaulay) the review indeed was horrible. Shaking his fierce trident, the enraged critic fell upon the author with deadliest attack and would not cause till the victim lay dead. This was the work of blind fury; we have seen only such part of poem which were exhibited by the critic and faulty. Yet despite Macaulay’s total condemnation of the work, we think that criticism as a preplanned act of cruel murder. We are not in a position to challenge of defy the points raised by Macaulay, yet we cannot hesitate to assert that the work after all was not so bad and also, that besides flaws. It contained point of merit, for example it’s them, which Macaulay had internationally refuse to see. This certainly meant the violence of the rule of criticism. On the whole we think this Macaulay’s criticism as a tragedy in the annals of criticism itself. It is the blemish on the name of both of the critic and the criticism.
Montgomery fell as the victim of illuck before the trident of Macaulay, who himself tells us in his article, that the practice of puffing of worthless literary works was the vogue in England. Macaulay called upon everyone who was anxious for the purity of the national taste or for the honor of the literary character to join in this discountenancing the practice that of puffing which according to him was then so shamefully and so successfully carried on in the country. It was on this point that Montgomery appeared as the target, because Montgomery’s work had run into eleven editions. It is thus in his effort to discountenancing the practice of puffing that Macaulay fell headlong upon a poet whose work despite flaws had certain points of merit and was purchased and read with rapture in eleventh edition by the public of England.
The whole article of Macaulay is interesting, but due to the considering of space, we shall have to be content with only one instance of Macaulay’s criticism. Say, he:
“The all-pervading influence of the Supreme being is then described in a few tolerable lines borrowed from Pope and a great many intolerable of Mr. Robert Montgomery’s own. The following may stand as a specimen.”
Upon thy Mirror earths majestic view,
To paint thy presence and to feel it too,
These last two lines contain and excellent specimen of Mr. Robert Montgomery’s Turkey carpet style of writing. The Majestic view of the earth is the mirror of God’s presence. And on this mirror Mr. Robert Montgomery paints God’s presence. The use of a mirror submit is not to be painted upon”. Says Macaulay:
We do not mean that this couplet is the specimen of high class English poetry, but the word paint of the mirror put easily be some substituted by the word canvas and show. We, however, want to make it clear that we are not going to judge the work of our point. Aamir on the standard of poet like Montgomery. Our poet shows the signs of genius that could rise to the highest of high class poetry in English.
Now before we leave Macaulay and Montgomery to rest in their graves, we intend to show some identity of thought and view between Montgomery and Aamir and not at all with a view to evaluating their works in comparison. Monitory’s work can stand no comparison. His verse is slow, sluggish, unwidely and lacks the qualities of high class poetry. While the works of Aamir is brist, precise, to the point and expressed with strong effect. Aamir’s thought a beginner in a language which is quite foreign to him, yet he shows the sign of rising to highest maintain while the great English poet. Montgomery says:-
There is not a blossom fondled by the breeze,
There is not a fruit that beautify the trees,
There is not a particle in sea or air,
But nature own thy plastic influence there,
Aamir says:-
I feel your hand wherever I look in every flower, tree or brook,
Montgomery says:-
Yet not alone created realm engage,
Thy faultless wisdom, grand primeval sage,
For all the thronging woes of life allied,
Thy Mercy Tempers and Thy cares provide,
Aamir says:-
All kingdoms are yours, all crowns for you,
You are the greatest, perfect and true,
When we suffers sorrow and decay,
Your blessings see us through all the way,
Montgomery says:-
The dew that on the violet lies,
Mocks the dark luster of thine eyes,
Aamir says:-
All this beauty, charms and grace,
Is just a lovely glimpse of your face?
We have given the above-quoted verse to see the identity of the views of the two poets, and to see also the difference between the rim odes of expression. Surely the verses of Aamir taken from his Hymn must be his earliest, yet his styles who was sort of precision which lacks in Montgomery’s verse. But Aamir has to be judged by the second part of his work, “My Celestial Dreams”. Therein we can have the audacity to show his work in comparison to greatest English poets. And he is as yet so young.
As for as Montgomery’s work is concerned we can agree with Macaulay when he says:
His writing bears the same relation to poetry which a Turkey carpet bears to a picture. There are colors in the Turkey carpet out of which a picture might be made. There are words in Mr. Montgomery’s writing which, when disposed in certain orders and combinations, have made, and will again make, good poetry:
Yet our complaint is that Macaulay’s treatment of Montgomery was ruthless. Ruthless beyond any bounds, Montgomery was taken as a scrape-goat.
As far as Aamir’s work is concerned, he himself says:
This humble effort of mine is not meant to stir your imagination towards the poetic process of my pen, but just to apprise you of the fact that I have drunk deeply at the fountain of God’s love for human souls”.
While reading the work of Aamir, “My celestial dreams”, novice though he is, the eye meets everywhere some expression which sounds like the voice of some great English poet, such as Keats, Shelly, Wordsworth etc. to reach the pinnacle, however, means constant flight. Aamir is not as unfortunate as Montgomery was. He is in better times, and in a better environment. The world now sick of materialism, has begun to take interest in religion. And thus the product of his mind has every probability acceptance and appreciation all over the world. His work, “My celestial Dream” could a well be divided into two distinct parts, that is before the poem. “Hero of the land”, and after that to etched end. The second part has distinctive superiority over the first. The poet appears to be blossoming fast and has reached a remarkable standard of efficiency. His thought share sacred. His expression is origin and sublime. He certainly does not appear like a foreigner who has learned English languages. He rather composes his poetry like the aboriginal English poet. His themes are simple yet deeply touching and indeed great. Judging by this religious trend, he might be taken by some European critic as a bigot, which he certainly is not. Milton and Bunyan both poets of Christianity have long since been thrown into oblivion due to surging waves of modern materialism. Whereas Aamir stands a real chance to make his mark in the world as poet of Islam. The credit of eulogizing the Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) in English poetry goes to him. He has emerged as a pioneer in that field.
We will now quote some of his waves to see and urge the prowess of his pen. He might deny it, yet his pen is impressive beyond expectations:-
“O! Crescent star flag!
I pray you fly,
With honor so high,
Above this world,
And azure sky,”
“Sons of Turkey, the tigers of Kamal,
Brave courageous handsome and tall”
“In sweet sleeps of night I see your dreams,
My love for your flows like rivers and streams.
O! Father come back,
Wipe my eyes,
Kiss me.
Come and grace my beautiful world,
Which I made for you,
And be my love
Part of eternity.
For my love is true and eternal
Born in heaven, reared an earth,
Pulling you from the burning sun.
It will fill you with joy and mirth.
So my love, now we separate,
Let time and fate on love operate,
With flaming passion we shall meet,
Our souls, then pure rejoice, forever greet,
Today it is corpse,
But yesterday it was,
A paragon,
Wistfully recalled the golden day’s
When I was like a flower,
Like a delightful nightingale,
I felt as if truly,
I had come to what I was again,
You shall be forever sought,
By the one who shall not?
See you again,
Your sketch,
I adored it,
In the temple of my soul,
And worshipped it,
All my life.”
These are some examples of Aamir’s verse which we have quoted. And we wish him good and good speed. May he blossom one day into and an eminent literacy figure, and be our pride.
Dated: 14th January 1986.