ওয়াল্ট হুইটম্যানের "O Me! O Life!"
আমাদের জীবনের উদ্দেশ্য এবং ভূমিকা নিয়ে ভাবতে জাগ্রত করে। হতাশার মধ্যেও জীবনের প্রতি
ইতিবাচক দৃষ্টিভঙ্গি এবং নিজের অবস্থান খুঁজে পাওয়ার যে তাগিদ এই কবিতায় আছে, তা
অনুপ্রেরণামূলক। জীবনের নাটকে আমাদের অনন্য ভূমিকা বুঝে এবং তা পালন করেই আমরা সত্যিকার
অর্থে বেঁচে থাকার আনন্দ অনুভব করতে পারি।
এই কবিতা থেকে শিক্ষাঃ
১। জীবন চলতে থাকবে, আমরা চাই বা না চাই।
২.
আমাদের নিজেদের জীবনকে অর্থপূর্ণ করে তুলতে হবে।
৩. প্রত্যেকেরই কিছু বলার এবং করার ক্ষমতা আছে, যা পৃথিবীতে
পরিবর্তন আনতে পারে।
Questions andAnswers:
i. What is the main
theme of the poem?
·
The main theme of
the poem is to explore the purpose of life and the meaning of human existence.
It emphasizes finding beauty and responsibility amidst despair. (কবিতার প্রধান থিম হলো জীবনের উদ্দেশ্য এবং আমাদের অস্তিত্বের
অর্থ খোঁজা। হতাশার মাঝেও জীবনের সৌন্দর্য এবং দায়িত্বের ভূমিকা বোঝা।)
ii. What recurring
questions does the poet mention?
·
The poet raises
questions about existence, daily struggles, and the inconsistencies of society,
such as why we are alive and how meaningful our lives are. (কবি মানুষের অস্তিত্ব,
তাদের দৈনন্দিন সংগ্রাম এবং সমাজের অসঙ্গতির প্রশ্ন উত্থাপন করেছেন। উদাহরণস্বরূপ:
আমরা কেন বেঁচে আছি, এবং আমাদের জীবন কতটা অর্থপূর্ণ।)
iii. What does the poet mean by ‘useless
years’?
·
By ‘useless
years,’ the poet refers to times when people fail to find the true purpose of
their lives and live without meaningful direction. (‘Useless years’ বলতে কবি এমন সময় বোঝাতে
চেয়েছেন, যখন মানুষ তাদের জীবনের প্রকৃত উদ্দেশ্য খুঁজে পেতে ব্যর্থ হয় এবং অর্থহীনভাবে
জীবন কাটায়।)
iv. Is age an identity
marker? What are the attributes of old age?
·
Yes, age can be an
identity marker. Attributes of old age include physical weakness, the weight of
experience, and a deeper understanding of life.
(হ্যাঁ, বয়স অনেক সময় একটি পরিচয় চিহ্ন হিসেবে
কাজ করে। বৃদ্ধ বয়সের বৈশিষ্ট্যগুলোর মধ্যে শারীরিক দুর্বলতা, অভিজ্ঞতার ভার, এবং
জীবনের প্রতি গভীর উপলব্ধি অন্তর্ভুক্ত।)
v. What do ‘sordid’
and ‘plodding’ mean?
·
‘Sordid’ means
dirty or immoral, and ‘plodding’ means moving slowly or laboriously. (‘Sordid’ মানে নোংরা বা অনৈতিক,
এবং ‘plodding’
মানে ধীরগতিতে বা কষ্ট করে এগিয়ে চলা।)
vi. What ‘faith’ does
the poet mention here?
·
The poet refers to
faith in humanity, trust in life itself, and the commitment to fulfilling one’s
responsibilities. (কবি এখানে মানুষের প্রতি বিশ্বাস, জীবনের প্রতি আস্থা
এবং নিজেদের দায়িত্ব পালনের প্রতি দৃঢ়তা বোঝাতে ‘faith’ শব্দটি ব্যবহার করেছেন।)
vii. Is there a
symbolic meaning of ‘contribute a verse’ in the last line?
·
Yes, ‘contribute a
verse’ carries a symbolic meaning. It signifies that every individual has a
unique role to play and a contribution to make in the larger narrative of life.
(হ্যাঁ, ‘contribute a verse’ বাক্যটি প্রতীকী অর্থ
বহন করে। এটি বোঝায় যে প্রত্যেক ব্যক্তির নিজস্ব ভূমিকা এবং অবদান আছে, যা জীবনের
বৃহত্তর অর্থের অংশ।)
viii. Do you find the
answer section of the poem convincing?
·
Yes, the answer
section is highly inspiring. It offers a refreshing perspective on the value of
life and encourages active participation in the grand “play” of existence. (হ্যাঁ, কবিতার উত্তর
অংশটি খুবই অনুপ্রেরণামূলক। এটি আমাদের জীবনের মূল্য এবং দায়িত্ব সম্পর্কে নতুন উপলব্ধি
দেয়। এটি আমাদের জীবনের নাটকে সক্রিয় ভূমিকা পালন করতে উদ্বুদ্ধ করে।)
Summary:
In this poem, Whitman asks himself why he exists
and wonders if life has any real meaning (অর্থ). He thinks about the many people who have let
him down (ধোঁকা দিয়েছে) in life. He talks about cities full of people who act foolishly (মূর্খভাবে), and he
feels sad that he is not much better than them.
He says his eyes always look
for light (আলো), which means he wants something more or better in
life. But he feels that he never gets what he truly wants. He sees many people
around him living hard lives (কষ্টের জীবন), and they are all struggling (সংগ্রাম করছে)
just like him.
He believes he is connected (সংযুক্ত) to
these people because he also spends many years chasing (ধাওয়া করছে) a
dream that feels far away. In the end, he finds an answer to his question: just
being alive (বেঁচে থাকা) is enough. Life itself is the reason to live.
শব্দার্থ
O: আহ্বান বা আবেগ প্রকাশ।
, Me: আমি বা নিজের প্রতিফলন।, Life: জীবন।, Questions: প্রশ্নসমূহ।, Recurring: পুনরাবৃত্ত।, Endless: অন্তহীন।, Trains: ধারাবাহিকতা।, Faithless: বিশ্বাসহীন।, Cities: নগরসমূহ।, Foolish: নির্বোধ।, Struggle: সংগ্রাম।, Useless: অপ্রয়োজনীয়।, Years: বছরসমূহ।, Exists: বিদ্যমান।, Identity: পরিচয়।, Powerful: শক্তিশালী।, Play: নাটক।, Goes on: চলতে থাকা।, Contribute: অবদান রাখা।, Verse: কবিতা বা অংশ।, Sordid: নোংরা বা নৈতিকভাবে
খারাপ।, Plodding: ধীরগতিতে চলা।, Faith: বিশ্বাস।,
Some Questions For Practices:
1. Question: Who is the speaker in the
poem "O Me! O Life!"?
Answer: The speaker is the poet himself, Walt Whitman. He is talking to himself and
thinking deeply about life.
2. Question: What is the main theme of
the poem?
Answer: The main theme is about the struggles of life, self-doubt, and finding purpose in living.
3. Question: What does the poet mean
by “endless trains of the faithless”?
Answer: It means there are many people in the
world who cannot be trusted. The poet feels sad seeing so many unfaithful
people.
4. Question: Why does the poet
reproach (blame) himself?
Answer: The poet blames himself because he
feels just as foolish and faithless as the people around him.
5. Question: What does the poet say about
people’s eyes and their wishes?
Answer: The poet says that people’s eyes vainly crave the light, meaning they are
always hoping for something better, but often feel disappointed.
6. Question: What is the poet's question
in the poem?
Answer: The poet asks, “What good is there in life?” or “What is the meaning of life among all this
sadness?”
7. Question: What answer does the poet
give at the end of the poem?
Answer: The poet answers that the good thing
is being alive, having an identity, and that we all have
a chance to add something meaningful
to life.
8. Question: What does “you may
contribute a verse” mean?
Answer: It means you can do something important in life. Everyone has a
chance to make a difference.
9. Question: What message does the
poem give to young people?
Answer: The poem tells young people not to
give up, even when life feels hard. Your
life has value, and you can
create something meaningful.
10. Question: How does the poem make
you feel?
Answer: The poem makes me feel hopeful. It
shows that even when life feels difficult, just being alive gives us a chance
to do something good.
11. Question: What kind of people does
the poet see in the cities?
Answer: He sees many foolish people who live without thinking deeply or doing
anything meaningful.
12. Question: What does the poet feel
about himself?
Answer: He feels sad, lost,
and disappointed in himself,
thinking he is no better than others.
13. Question: What is meant by “the
struggle ever renew’d”?
Answer: It means life is a never-ending struggle. Every day brings new problems and challenges.
14. Question: Why does the poet feel
life is useless at first?
Answer: Because he sees so many people living
meaningless lives and he also feels disconnected
and unimportant.
15. Question: What are the “poor
results” the poet talks about?
Answer: The poet feels that most efforts in
life give small or no results,
and people don’t achieve what they truly want.
16. Question: What are “sordid
crowds”?
Answer: “Sordid crowds” means groups of
people who live in a low, dirty, or meaningless way.
17. Question: What does “intertwined”
mean in the poem?
Answer: “Intertwined” means connected or tied together. The poet feels he is a part of the same
crowd and shares their pain.
18. Question: What kind of tone does
the poem have in the beginning?
Answer: The tone is sad, questioning,
and hopeless in the beginning.
19. Question: How does the tone change
at the end of the poem?
Answer: At the end, the tone becomes more hopeful, positive, and inspiring.
20. Question: What does the poet
realize in the end?
Answer: He realizes that life itself is valuable, and everyone
has a purpose.
21. Question: Why does the poet repeat
“O Me! O Life!”?
Answer: The poet repeats this to show his deep feelings and confusion about life and himself.
22. Question: What does the line “That
life exists and identity” mean?
Answer: It means that just being alive and knowing who you are is already something very important.
23. Question: What is the “powerful
play” in the poem?
Answer: The “powerful play” means life itself, which is like a big drama
or story that continues with everyone playing a role.
24. Question: What is the message of
the poem in one sentence?
Answer: The message is: Even in a hard world, your life matters, and you
have a chance to do something meaningful.
25. Question: How can students relate
to this poem?
Answer: Students often feel confused or lost, and this poem reminds them that life has purpose and they can still contribute something good.
26. Question: What do the
"eyes that vainly crave the light" represent?
Answer: The poet’s eyes represent his desire for something
better, like light, but his search feels hopeless and unfulfilled.
27. Question: What are the
“mean objects” the poet refers to?
Answer: The “mean objects” are things that don’t matter or are insignificant
in the grand scheme of life.
28. Question: What does the
poet mean by "the struggle ever renew'd"?
Answer: This refers to the constant struggle and challenges
people face, with no end or solution in sight.
29. Question: What does the
poet mean by "empty and useless years"?
Answer: The poet feels that the years spent by himself and others
have been wasted and meaningless.
30. Question: How does the poet
feel about being “intertwined” with others?
Answer: The poet feels that he is connected to everyone else, as
they are all living lives that feel empty or pointless.
31. Question: Why does the poet
call the question “so sad”?
Answer: The question is sad because the poet feels hopeless and desperate,
wondering if there is any good or meaning in life.
32. Question: What does the
poet ask in the line “What good amid these, O me, O life?”
Answer: He is asking whether there is any purpose or meaning
in life despite all the struggles and disappointments.
33. Question: What does “life
exists and identity” mean?
Answer: It means that living and having a sense of self is
already a meaningful and important thing.
34. Question: What does the
“powerful play” refer to?
Answer: The “powerful play” refers to life itself, which is a
grand, ongoing drama or story.
35. Question: What does it mean
to “contribute a verse” in the poem?
Answer: It means that every person has a chance to add something
valuable to life, like adding a line to a poem.
