I BELIEVE

                                                                                      

 The very title of the poem ‘I Believe’ conveys a great sense of conviction. In the first three stanzas the poet gives expression to her potential to accomplish tasks that appear to be herculean but she says with a sense of robust confidence that she is capable of accomplishing them. She speaks in a tone of exaggeration that she will accomplish the most impossible tasks with grit and determination. These hyperbolic assertions give us an idea of the way she is able to utilize the most of her potential to achieve what appears to be incredible under normal circumstances. She intentionally raises the pitch to a height impossible to drive home the message that we need to be honest in our approach to the basic problems of life to deliver the results. She imbues (inspires) us with the message of humanity and eventually states in clear terms that we need to address ourselves to the tasks that should be accomplished to work towards the betterment of our fellow men. She means honestly that we should have the intention and willingness to make efforts to promote the well being of our fellow men, making the world a better place to live in. She gives us an idea of her prudence as well as her compassion when she says that one has to make efforts and render services to the people of the world in order to make it a better place to live in as this is the very place where we live and nurse the most cherished of our aspirations.

In the short but very inspiring poem the poetess distinguishes between capabilities and priorities. She talks about the way she is able to harness her potential to do things which apparently seem absurd. But this is indicative of the way she is able to use the figment of her imagination when it comes to thinking of accomplishing the most difficult tasks. She talks about her capabilities in a hyperbolic manner but it speaks volume for the robustness of her confidence. She wants to give an idea of the fact that man can have an absolute sway over the different manifestations of nature provided he or she wants to achieve it. But behind the portrayal of such a galvanic approach there is a message of reality that relates to the mundane and pragmatic ways of life. There is a suggestion loud in its nature that no matter how great the potential or capability of a human being is, one has to keep in mind the nature of his or her commitment to the very world he or she belongs to as a member of the human race. By virtue of being a human being one has to take on oneself the very task of contributing to the wellbeing of the world around him or her. She begins on a note of exaggeration in order to highlight human stamina but tones it down with a practical sense of life that is fairly collective from an altruistic (selfless) point of view. 

In the different stanzas the poet lists the tasks she believes she can perform with ease. In a tone of exaggeration, she goes on talking about her capabilities. She talks about her belief of piercing the heavens by throwing a mere pebble with the result that she would be able to see the angels playing there. It is interesting to note that the poet wants to use a mere object like a pebble to achieve the great task of penetrating the heavens to be able to see the angels enjoying their fun and frolic. In the second stanza she talks about flying up to the infinite spaces of the sky to be able to touch the delicate and fleecy clouds and feel the stars. After conquering the loftiness of the heavens and sky, the poet talks about how she can plunge to the depth of oceans and seas. In the third stanza her action is one of diving into the depth of oceans and proving equal to the deadliest of marine creatures such as sharks by swimming with them. Now the poet wants to dig into the earth to make the most of the treasures lying embedded in its cavity. Her confidence urges her to believe that she can claw into the bowels of the earth to retrieve priceless gems and beautify herself with them. Then there is a sudden shift in the poet’s scheme of things and her conviction urges her to focus on her priorities as a human being.  She talks about how she can make efforts to do many things in the midst of human beings and thus promote the well being of the mankind surrounded by the world’s treasures. Then the poetess goes on to say emphatically that it is her firm belief that she will have to play her role as a human being in an effective manner. The poetess imbibes the spirit of philanthropy and wants to complete the role that has been assigned to her by virtue of being a member of the human race. She stresses the importance of the role of humanity, rendering services towards the people in the world where she nurses her dreams and breathes.