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Towards an Eco-Poetic Vision of the Poetic Works of Agha Shahid Ali and Sylvia Plath: a Comparative Study

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Towards an Eco-Poetic Vision of the Poetic Works of Agha Shahid Ali and Sylvia Plath: a Comparative Study Towards an Eco-Poetic Vision of the Poetic Works of Agha Shahid Ali and Sylvia Plath: A Comparative Study A Thesis submitted to the Central University of Punjab For the award of Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative Literature by Aadil Muzafar Pala Supervisor Dr. Zameerpal Kaur (Associate Professor) Department of Languages and Comparative Literature School of Languages, Literature and Culture Central University of Punjab, Bathinda August, 2019 Declaration I declare that the thesis entitled ‘Towards an Eco-Poetic Vision of the Poetic Works of Agha Shahid Ali and Sylvia Plath: A Comparative Study’ has been prepared by me under the guidance of Dr. Zameerpal Kaur, Associate Professor, Department of Languages and Comparative Literature, Central University of Punjab. No part of the thesis has formed the basis for the award of any degree or fellowship previously. (Aadil Muzafar Pala) Department of Languages and Comparative Literature School of Languages, Literature and Culture Central University of Punjab Bathinda-151001 Punjab, India. Date: i Certificate I certify that Aadil Muzafar Pala has prepared his dissertation entitled ‘Towards an Eco-Poetic Vision of the Poetic Works of Agha Shahid Ali and Sylvia Plath: A Comparative Study’ for the award of Ph.D. Degree under my supervision. He has carried out this work at the Department of Languages and Comparative Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Culture, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda. (Dr. Zameerpal Kaur) Associate Professor Department of Languages and Comparative Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Culture, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda-151001 Date: ii ABSTRACT Towards an Eco-Poetic Vision of the Poetic Works of Agha Shahid Ali and Sylvia Plath: A Comparative Study Name of student : Aadil Muzafar Pala Registration Number : CUPB/Mph-PhD/SLLC/CPL/2013-14/14 Degree for which: : Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Name of supervisor : Dr. Zameerpal Kaur Department : Department of Languages and Comparative Literature School of Studies : School of Languages, Literature and Culture Key Words:- Agha Shahid Ali, Desert Landscape, Ecocriticism, Ecopoetics, Ecopsychology, Environment, Mashrooms, Nature, Narrative, Snow Man, Sylvia Plath, Tulips. The environmental problems became of supreme importance with the dawn of twenty first century. These issues which are faced by both biosphere and human life are flourishing at an alarming speed and are posing a threat to the life proportions upon the earth. There was a time when man was considered as having a close relationship with his surroundings and was nurtured and nourished by it, but with the passage of time man came under the influences of many newly introduced experiences and philosophies that altogether changed the vision of the civilisations towards anthropocentrism. Human being began to develop egotism which ultimately paved way for him to think himself as superior to the entire visible world and hence exploit it to meet his own ends. This new idea replaced man’s earlier thinking of being sentimental towards his survival without the presence of the nature. Nature by no means can be treated as a pleasure giving property to the human being rather it is the precondition for his very survival and prosperity. With the gradual growth of human civilisations on the earth the plundering and exploitation of the natural resources significantly increased by man’s self- glorification and self-indulgence by destroying the trees for his shelter and for iii industry, devastating the beautiful landscapes replacing them with the setting up of industrial establishments, roads, buildings etc. Ecocrticism is an approach to spread awareness and play a role to save the planet earth as it can be seen concerned with the relationships which show how the physical environment is dealt with in literature. It is a unique study which seems to project a natural science and a discipline based on humanistic approach. The present research work focuses on the theoretical framework of Ecocriticism considering its concepts like Ecopoetics and Ecopsychology and their application upon the poems of Agha Shahid Ali and Sylvia Plath. It further focuses on the narratives which explores the elements of nature and environment and the aspects of man nature relationship in the poetry of the selected poets. There can be seen an oriented quest where the ways emotions and feelings get an impact from the nature and vice-versa, the impact of culture on the nature which is seen proving helpful in creating the poetic stance. Researcher Supervisor Aadil Muzafar Pala Dr. Zameerpal Kaur iv Dedication I dedicate this humble effort to my loving mother HASINA BANU and to my benign father MUZAFAR AHMAD PALA. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I kneel in reverence before ALMIGHTY ALLAH and thank Him for inculcating in me the patience, courage, and strength to complete this research work. I pay my deep sense of gratitude to my grandparents whose prayers show me the way and particular appreciation to my loving mother Haseena Banu whose determination and courage inspires me every day and my dear father Muzafar Ahmad who always stands like a pillar to provide me all kinds of support and encouragement and my sister Bilquees and my brother Hammid for their unconditional love. I pay my profound gratitude to my Supervisor, Dr. Zameerpal Kaur Associate Professor, Department of Languages and Comparative Literature for her endless generosity and patience provided to me during the entire research work. The overall support I receive from her with lucrative suggestions and noble guidance, keen interest, constructive criticism comprising healthy discussions during the research work. I express my earnest thanks to all the faculty members of the Department of Languages and Comparative Literature, Central University of Punjab Dr. Amandeep Singh, Dr. Alpna Saini, Dr. Rajinder Kumar, Dr. Dinesh Babu, Dr. Ramanpreet Kaur and Dr. Shahila Zafar for their help and valuable implications for my research work. I am also deeply grateful to Prof. R. K. Kohli, Vice Chancellor and Prof. P. Ramarao (Dean, Academic Affairs), Central University of Punjab for providing me the required research facilities as well as kind support and encouragement. I would also like to pay my deepest gratitude to my co-scholars and friends especially Shafayat, Kavita, Smriti, Satya, and Neha for their diligence, guidance and an encouraging moral support throughout the research work. I whole heartedly pay my gratitude to my seniors and room-mates for their cheery and appreciated assistance and time to time support. I express my gratitude and thanks to Dr. Irshad, Dr. Nadeem and Dr. Tajamul for their valuable help and insightful advices, I am also indebted to my friends, the group ‘MD’ Advocate Aasif, Er. Aarif, TSM Mudasir and Master Hilal for their motivation and cheerful friendliness throughout this research work. vi Table of Contents S. No. Content Page No. 1. Declaration i 2. Certificate ii 3. Abstract iii-iv 4. Dedication V 5. Acknowledgement vi 6. Contents vii 7. Introduction 1-9 8. CHAPTER 1: Environment and Literature: A Theoretical 10-43 Exploration 9. CHAPTER 2: Agha Shahid Ali and Sylvia Plath: A 44-67 Comprehensive Comparison 10. CHAPTER 3: An Ecological Assertion: Nature and 68-93 Narrative 11. CHAPTER4: Eco-Psychology: Eco-Human Camaraderie 94-119 12. Conclusion 120-124 13. Bibliography 125-140 vii Introduction Ecocritical approaches have increasingly occupied studies in literature, culture, and the arts in recent years. The environmental challenges of pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss affect certain areas of the globe more than others and literature provides a unique forum for theorising about and seeking solutions to these environmental crisis. This research work primarily focuses on the theoretical framework of Ecocriticism with special emphasis on its concepts of Ecopoetics and Ecopsychology and the application of these two concepts upon the poetic works of Agha Shahid Ali and Sylvia Plath. In ancient times man was close to nature and hence was unintentionally aware of the essential relationship between nature and him. He protected nurtured and cherished nature so that nature might protect and nourish the human race. The interdependence was highlighted in classical writing of both east and the west. But new philosophies and new experiences have shifted the focus and made the civilisations more and more anthropocentric. They improved the egotism of the human beings, making them believe that they are not only the best of God‗s creation, but are the monarchs of the entire visible world. This idea replaced the earlier concepts and sentiments that survival on earth is inconceivable without the presence of the nature. Nature is not a sole property for the human being providing it pleasures in different ways. But, nature is a precondition for the very survival of the human race. Furthermore, adding to its predicament, with the gradual growth of human civilization there has been a significant sign of plunder and exploitation of nature by human being for its self aggrandisement, self-glorification and self-indulgence. He rifled the earth for metal, destroyed the trees for his habitats and for industry; he destroyed the natural beauty of landscape with the setting up of industrial establishments, polluting land, water and air. It is a black chapter in the story of human race where violence and exploitation were the main themes. ‗Eco‘ is short of ‗ecology‘, which is concerned with the relationships among the living organisms on Earth and between living organisms in their natural environment. Comparatively, Eco-criticism is seen as concerned with those relationships which show how the physical environment is portrayed in literature. These are obviously interdisciplinary studies. Unique is the study as it projects a 1 natural science and a discipline based on humanistic approach. The sphere of eco-criticism is very wide because it is not limited to any literary genre. The most famous and well recognized eco-critics include Lawrence Buell, Cheryll Glotfelty, Simon C.
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