Anxiety by A.K. Ramanujan

 Unit-2

Poetry

Anxiety 

-A.K. Ramanujan

Summary

 In this poem, he explains that anxiety is universal. It has made everyone its prey. He expressed his inability to tell about the nature of anxiety. Even though he brings in various similies and metaphors to give an accurate picture of anxiety he is unable to do so. Through this poem, the poet presents his own gloomy temperament, his inner fear and anxieties. 

"Not branchless as the fear tree

It has naked roots and secret twigs"

The poet says that the study of anxiety is beyond understanding. It is difficult to reach the bottom of anxiety. It is indescribable. All things and feeling except anxiety,can be defined in a single or straightforward manner or in a poetic manner through the use of similes and metaphors. 

" Can find no metaphor to end it"

Like the tree of fear it has branches i.e., it has many forms and manifestations.  Fear can be defined, understood, studied and judged but wherever there is a question of anxiety, it cannot be known and studied. In spite of it's presence and visibility, it's reason remain unknown and hidden.

"Not geometric as the parabolas

Of hope, it has loose ends"

 There is also no geometric way to know about anxiety. The state of happiness can be studied in a geometrical way. But no structure of anxiety can be drawn. In fact the state of anxiety is prepetual. It affects the human mind and causes a state of utter hopelessness, despair and gloom. It seems that the poet describes his own gloominess.

Anxiety is known as the antonym of hope and cheerfulness because it's a nervous feeling caused by fear that something bad is going to happen. Fear always accompanies anxiety because of being it's constant companion. 

"Not wakeful in it's white snake"

Anxiety cannot be perceived clearly like the white skinned snake. As a white- skinned snake is lying in the bushes in invisible state, but it's presence can be felt, similarly anxiety  can be felt only. But it remains in dark. It does not come before us in a clear form. It is very difficult to understand the state of anxiety. Like the uninterrupted movement of the water it has its constant flow. It remains indifferent from other things. In fact the victim of anxiety is always engrossed in himself after being indifferent from the other things. It has a thick consistency that is often quite sticky. It is not clear and active like flowing water, but slumbers and flows lazily along a thick, fibrous fluid or tar. It has no metaphor to explain or resolve it as it has no fixed shape or definite movement. Like tar it is sluggish and sticky. Hence it is always dark, frightening and mysterious. Ultimately it may be said that each and every object can be defined, but anxiety is only felt and experienced.

The poet thinks that the source of all tension is the Individual. Perhaps the poem refers to the complex Indian problems like growth of population, poverty, illiteracy and the problem of unemployment. Fear is the source of all tension in the poem. Fear may be because of communal conflict, maoism and terrorism, apparently the problems are having loose ends. The problems are because of lack of individual consciousness too. That's why the poet says that the anxieties are " with the knot at the top, that's me".