During my graduation, there was an article entitled Creative Imagination in the course of study. I do not remember exactly what the content of the article was, but it took a very long time for our teacher to explain it to us. Whatever the content, the title suggests that there is another side to imagination, which may be negative or destructive. Let us first try to understand what exactly imagination means. Literally, it means the ability to create mental images, feelings, or thoughts, which may be based on past experience or completely invented. It definitely has to do with creativity.
In literature, we come across different forms like essays, drama, poetry, one-act plays, short stories, etc. As a writer, I have tried my hand in almost all forms but found that while writing a poem, short story, or drama, an idea must strike first to set the ball rolling. It is not that one can write in any form without an idea, but while writing a poem, story, or drama, one has to concentrate on certain aspects which may not be required in the other forms. To quote one poet, “One just cannot sit to write a poem. One has got to be inspired first before doing it.” It is often seen that poetry, stories, and drama are considered to be more creative, which irritates the writers of other forms.
Before moving further into imagination, let us first try to understand whether it is an exclusive quality in certain people. There are mainly two theories regarding the ability of man. The first theory holds that one is born with a blank slate and develops the ability in the course of time. Factors like environment, exposure, and the people around play a pivotal role in this development. William Wordsworth, the romantic English poet, has often declared that as a child, he was exposed to the forces of nature, which sharpened his sensibilities as a poet. He is a poet of nature and has accepted her as his guru. Many poets and writers around the globe have admitted that without an environment, they could not have done anything. One of my English teachers did say in class that had he not been exposed to the Anglo-Indian community in his neighborhood, he would never have taken an interest in English literature and language.
The second theory says that imagination, intelligence, and creativity are all inherited as gifts of God. It means one is born talented. Though it is really a difficult proposition to accept one theory to the point of ruling out the other, the exposure theory appears to be more striking. It is often said in the case of film star kids that acting is in their genes and therefore acting naturally comes to them. But we must not forget that star kids are exposed to an environment of acting and filmmaking ever since their childhood days, which is instrumental in developing an interest in the profession. Moreover, the success of actors from non-filmi backgrounds and the failure of star kids in the film industry does not make the theory foolproof. The disinterest of sons and daughters in their family profession also goes against the gene theory. Most people think that how could God or nature be partial in creation, thereby confirming their faith in the blank slate theory, requiring exposure for the growth and development of talent.
Another important point to ponder is whether poetry requires more creative imagination than the other forms of literature or whether the poet exercises his creative imagination more than the other writers. In the first place, writing in any form is not an easy task. Even for writing an essay or feature article, one has to work hard on the subject, research material, style, and language. One has to work over and over again on the language and facts lest they should provide anything negative for the reader. But writing a poem or a creative piece of writing is a little different. First, there must be an idea to set the ball rolling. Then one has to work on the setting and the format. The format and the rhyme scheme or word music exert extra pressure on the poet. In the case of free verse, there is not much of a problem since the poet goes on writing spontaneously. William Wordsworth, the romantic English poet, says that poetry is a spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings. In addition to the format and word music, literary decoration is another requirement in poetry. In order to make his work attractive, the poet makes use of images, similes, and metaphors. Delineating the face of a lady, he would compare it to a rose or her cheeks to the petals of a rose. The same is the case with the other forms of literature. Story, drama, and one-act plays have their own structure and pattern, and the creative writer has to follow a technique in penning them. So, a particular form can hardly be called more creative than the other. While writing this article, I have had the feeling that I am working as hard as a poet. Moreover, it is a matter of exposure, habit, and specialization. If one is writing poetry regularly, it would come automatically. If we say the poet is more creative and his imagination is more fertile, then we are coming closer to the theory that some people are born with more talent than others.
Imagination or creative imagination plays a second fiddle when the poet writes objective poetry delineating the outside world. When he writes subjective poetry, his imagination may be more at work. Objective poetry is prior to subjective poetry in origin, as the poet has described first what he has seen around him, and then moves to his inner self.
In the context of imagination or creative imagination, the role and importance of the poet may very well be assessed. Plato, the great Greek philosopher, does not give much credit to the poet and his imagination. He says that whatever we see on earth is an imitation of its ideal form in some other world. So, the poet imitates an imitation, and therefore what he creates is twice removed from reality. He is a liar and should be shown the exit. But the philosophy of Plato has not disheartened the poets and writers, and great works of art and literature have been produced through the ages. Poets have not only been appreciated for their merits but have also earned titles like ‘possessed beings,’ ‘inspired beings,’ and ‘unacknowledged legislators of the world.’ Whether the poet is a possessed or inspired being is also a matter of interest.
Epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and others in different languages around the globe drive home the point that it has not been easy going for the poets to have penned such all-time great works. Saint Tulsi Das and Sarala Das have admitted that they have been inspired by Lord Ram and Devi Sarala, respectively, for writing Ramcharitmanas and the Odia Mahabharata. Whether they have written under divine grace is a matter of faith. But it can hardly be denied that they were intelligent, had acquired the requisite experience, and worked hard on their works. Determination to achieve a goal is as good as being inspired or possessed. In the midst of myriad poets and writers, Vyasa, Valmiki, Milton, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Shaw stand prominent, making it clear that certain people are more equal than others. Possessed and inspired, they positively are, which comes out of their extra intelligence, experience, hard work, sincerity, and determination.
Despite lavish praise and occasional blame on poets and writers, imagination or creative imagination has undoubtedly played a pivotal role in producing the best of literature around the globe, thereby holding the mirror up to society. It is only through literature that we come to know about a contemporary society. Works like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, Paradise Lost, the plays of Shakespeare, The Waste Land, The Canterbury Tales throw a great deal of light on contemporary society, often helping historians in compiling their accounts. Imagination may be wild on the part of an ordinary man, but it is always creative for poets and writers. At times, it may border on fancy, exaggeration, or negativity, but can never be wild or destructive. Creative imagination on the part of the poets can get reflected as bhakti in Tulsi Das, as romanticism in Wordsworth, as sorrow in Tennyson, as comedy and tragedy in Shakespeare, as satire in Dryden and Pope, as pessimism in Eliot, and as narratives in the Ramayana and Mahabharata without ever losing its charm. It can very well be said that a poet or writer is undoubtedly intelligent, knowledgeable, gifted, sensitive, and hardworking, striking a balance between the blank slate theory and the gene theory. He might not have come from an educated or literary family, but he cultivates the art of writing by means of his knowledge, experience, concentration, practice, and, last but not least, creative imagination.
(The views expressed are the writer’s own)
Mr. Prafulla Kumar Majhi,
Retired Asst. Director, A. I. R, is an eminent Scholar and freelance writer in English & Odia. His areas of interests are sociocultural, economic, literary, historical and analytical studies and writings.
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