A fisherman mourned

Patrick Fernando’s two best known poems have love as their theme - the love between man and woman. Both poems contain themes of love, related through a strong deciphering, reflective analysis of the nature of what relationship each pair of man and woman shared. However the two pieces differ in many aspects, the central matter being the difference in feeling, emotion and very nature of relationship each had, along with the attitude of the narrator or speaker of these lines.

The artistry of the poet in handling the themes of love in two contrasting ways, is evident in the manner in which “A fisherman mourned” and “Folly and wisdom” differ form the other. The very titles are indicative if the difference in the very nature of the two pieces. One is about the relationship that existed between “A fisherman mourned” which is almost as a title had been given to a story, while the other is about two contrasting nouns that involve a more abstract; contrasting feel to the poem that follows in the same direction – “Folly and wisdom”. “A fisherman mourned” consists of 5 stanzas and is a first per son account by a “grieving “ wife to her dead husband at whom monologue is directed, while “Folly and wisdom” is a 3rd person narration by the author who seems to have a deep feeling for what happened, within the context of the relationship between the young woman and man.

“A fisherman mourned” contains a more mature theme of a love grown cold, embittered, between a man and woman who seem to have married not for love’s reason, even because of loneliness but because of “elder’s persuasion”. In contrast, the couple in “Folly and wisdom”, seem to have rushed into the relationship against the wiser jurisdiction of wiser men who are crazily disrobed as they observe, the small minded, sweet girl being taken at first sighting. (“he tool her at a moment’s glance, on first hearing her word” by a man who knew better, yet carried on with her ever as the poet in his artistry, likens them to hopping, winking sparrows who are yet to experience what is before them, as bitterness is still a blur. The use of the metaphor of “exalted eagles” who childe the sparrow birds, is extremely effective in portraying the elders around this young couple who know better, are “greater birds” for their experience and WISDOM who perceive the FOLLY of their hasty decision to join together and who seem to know what possibilities lay in stor tfor them for whom years had not yet “lent them learning”. The cleverness of the poet in enabling is to perceive the realization that the man is yet to gently, too young to “observe that he has erred”, almost makes it definite that the union of this man woman, has been foolish, ill-advised and is heading for some kind of doom. However the couple in their ignorance of experience, also seem to be certain of their decision as they happily chirp “but how could we have erred, we who in spite of all you say are not yet embittered?”

The poet is successful in cleverly enabling the reader to not only understand that the elders are right as they have been through the experience of years and times, but in also proving the point that while bitterness has yet not touched them, they are valid in staying true to their own notion that they are happy and will be happy in the current state of her still sounding as sweet as honey to the man.

This contrasts heavily on the other hand, with the bitterness, regret, realization and confession (“now that being dead you are beyond detection, and I need not be discreet” ) of a woman who has borne children, existed in a relationship with the now dead fisherman husband that in contrast, was encouraged by elders. The two poems without direct comment, make the reader realize the infallibility of the wisdom of elders in advising against/on the other hand, promoting relationships, between man and woman and the artistry of Patrick Fernando in enabling us to experience the deeper conflicts of relationship and the experience of the woman who was in this relationship with a man who are first seemed unembittered, yet ended nothing more than someone “practical”, a husband/father who she has to mourn, makes the theme of a relationship between man and woman a complex one.

The manner in which time passes and e vents unfold, is narrated through typical fishermen imagery. The beauty in the frequent use of gulls – “chaste as a gull flying pointed home” and again “when gulls returned new-plumed and wild” is part of this artistry. “Folly and wisdom” in contrast, is yet to experience the passing of time. Yet early in experience. We neither know the lifestyle of the man and woman concerned, nor see the deeper conflicts of experience as we do in “A fisherman mourned”. It is almost left to be seen whether a follow up poem by the young simple girl in “Folly and wisdom” later in life, would confirm or dispel the fear of the “exalted eagles”.

“A fisherman mourned” is one told at the end of life experience while “folly and wisdom” contains a man and woman yet on the brink of experience who are yet to feel the “guilt”. The “repent or rejoice” dilemma of a man or the bitter reflection on a relationship ended by “death”, by a woman who has lived to bear children and now stands facing the event of realization of “death” that has touched their relationship and caused her to look back.

© Slow Chills