I Can’t Help Blossoming

Dr K Ayyappa Panikar is one of the pioneers of modernism in Malayalam poetry. In his poem, I Can’t Help Blossoming, he speaks about the importance of contentment in accomplishing one’s life’s mission on this earth. This is a poem expressing the themes of change, loss and nostalgia. The poet exemplifies this theme with the tale of golden cassia, which cannot help but blossom in the season of Vishu.

The duty entrusted to the golden cassia is to blossom during the festival of Vishu, and it is bound to perform its duty. The poem’s theme of change is evident as the poet contrasts the past and the present of the golden cassia. The withered sprigs of the golden cassia have now changed into golden flower lockets and are celebrating the splendour of the festival. The golden cassia transitions from a period of hardships to hopeful days of luck and goodness. The heat of the burning summer and the wilderness of the freezing winter have vanished with the coming of the yellow flowers. They have vanished, and the miseries have shifted to sweet smiles of yellow.

The golden cassia is celebrating its yellow colour. In the season of Vishu, the golden cassia blossoms entirely, and it looks like wearing a yellow garment. Yellow is a colour associated with happiness and sunshine. The golden cassia is an integral part of the sighting of the Vishukkani, which is believed to bring prosperity and happiness. Yellow, in the poem, stands for hope. The golden cassia embraces its yellow flowers after a tumultuous period of suffering and hardship. With the arrival of the yellow flowers, the green in the golden cassia disappeared along with its miseries. For the golden cassia, yellow denoted the hope for a new beginning. For the golden cassia, the heat of the burning summer and the wilderness of the freezing winter have vanished with the coming of the yellow flowers. Fate has bestowed on the cassia only yellow, the colour of love and illusion.

On the other hand, the golden cassia also laments the loss of the last Vishu festival. The pain of that loss and the agony of the hard time it had been through add to the theme of loss in the poem. The golden cassia has kept its eye closed since the last Vishu and is relining in the memory of the past auspicious event. For many years, the cassia tree has fulfilled its duty as a part of Vishukkani and as the epitome of prosperity, happiness, and good luck. It never failed to blossom in the season of Vishu. It always ensured its presence in the good luck and happiness of the people who followed the ritual of Vishukkani.

The poem is a product of imagination bearing a largely metaphoric relation to the environment. In the form of a monologue of the tree, it articulates a helpless lot of golden cassia that cannot but blossom in the season of Vishu, casting a spell of golden yellow all around: ‘Am I not the golden cassia, and isn’t this the season of Vishu, oh, I can’t help blossoming!’. The line points to the poem’s themes of change, loss and nostalgia. It is the season of Vishu, and it is the golden cassia. It has to blossom, and it has to do justice to its responsibility. So, the change is inevitable.

Blending the real and the imaginative with exquisite care and novelty, I Can’t Help Blossoming is unique in its simplicity. It treads hitherto unexplored paths, dramatises the ordinary, senses the imminent, and, in the process, often touches those lofty heights of pure pleasure. There is a disarming frankness and freshness of approach, with images that constantly surprise and linger. The simultaneity of experience is a feature that holds a strong attraction for the poet, and it becomes easy to see how he can leave the reader with a more profound meaning beyond the seeming simplicity of his lines. And how easily and safely he can be in his embrace of life on earth.

Blossoming is a predestined chore from which neither the tree nor the poet can escape. His poetry is engaged with the living situations of life. The arrival of the season will stir the tree from slumber and fill its sap with new energy and elements. The chemistry of the process covers the whole tree with flowers, and the tree discovers itself in its newfound beauty. Despite all the adverse situations, the golden cassia will discharge its duty faithfully once the season of Vishu arrives. The golden cassia reminds us of the happiness gained by achieving the goal in one’s life. 

Language and Imagery

Panikar’s language in this poem is ornate yet vibrant, filled with sensory details that evoke images of nature’s abundance and richness. The vivid imagery of blossoming heightens the poem’s emotional impact and aesthetic appeal.

Theme

The poem navigates the theme of self-realisation and growth. The title, I Can’t Help Blossoming, suggests an unstoppable force of personal growth and development, reflecting life’s inherent regeneration and renewal capacity.

Structure and Rhythm

The free verse structure gives the poem a flexible rhythm, mirroring the organic and dynamic process of blossoming. This poetic form enhances the spontaneous and relentless quality of the poem’s thematic concern.

Symbolism

The act of blossoming is a powerful symbol representing the self’s journey towards enlightenment and the potential for inner change. It suggests a metamorphosis, highlighting the transformative power of self-actualisation.

Emotional Resonance

The poem’s emotional depth resonates with readers, prompting them to reflect on their paths towards growth and self-discovery.