Writers, poets, dramatists -- will at some stage face a situation where the connection between thought and words is inexplicably severed. John Milton had a succinct explanation: “Writing is painful,” said the bard who would be bereft of sight in his later days.
Ludwig Van Beethoven, the musical genius whose work spewed grandness in every chord he wrote suffered something similar as deafness engulfed him. It affected the softer notes in his creations, at least when he played them.
These were and are natural phenomena, a narrative of the ageing process and the inexplicable changes in body chemistry. Such scripts and scores cannot be re-done.
Some of the best writers found different ways through the maze. One of the casualties is the brilliance of creativity cruelly tapered down by commercialism. It can be argued that the Romantic poets that lived such short lives had much more to give. The Brontë sisters may have produced greater, more universal forms of literature had they lived longer.
And then again, there are visible and notable differences in the later works of those blessed with longevity beyond expectations. Rabindranath Tagore was taken up with painting as a newer form of expression in his advanced years. William Shakespeare’s tragedies were deeper, darker -- as age moulded his creativity.
The changes in life sciences inform theories to the point of U-turns, as do economic theories. While such progressions may be as natural as the literary process, the cold, unfeeling emotion of the speculative is fast taking over. That takes us down unchartered territory of relentlessness that threatens to muzzle the softer, finer elements of emotion.
Once in a while, a bright spark somewhere will find a loose thread that, when tugged, revives emotiveness. It hangs suspended for some time till the next wave of speculation overcomes its perceived benefits.
It shouldn’t have come as any surprise that the woes of the world, mostly due to human avarice, have been exacerbated by fiendish speculation. Sex and scandal sells much more than the creative tickled by individual fancy. Books and soap serials were attractive till the speculative came in. What’s next in the series? That, further fuelled by innate curiosity of the Joe Bloggs on the street, opened up the floor for TV shows, newspaper columns, and of late, blogs and viral videos.
No one is exempt. From the out of sight individual to the in-the-spotlight politician, sports person, writer, or performer, they are rudely accosted by rampant invasion of privacy and space initially by media and now the awful scrutiny of social media. The brave ones shrug it off; others suffer to the extent of ruined egos and the unbearable jolt to their ethos.
Jacinda Ardern, the affable prime minister of New Zealand, made headlines for having to queue to get access to a restaurant. If that was a comfortable position to be in, bearing a child with her partner while holding office raised all the wrong and even more unfair questions about being in full control as leaders are supposed to be.
Once hailed as one of the most effective handlers of the Covid-19 disaster, her current ratings are the lowest in five years. The yardstick of measurement being the economic revival that hasn’t played true to Ms Ardern’s plans.
Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin, till recently the youngest in the world, has had battles of her own. Photographs of two women smooching at a party at her official residence created what can best be described as “mixed reactions.” Her public apologies of inappropriateness was not enough to have opposition politicians holding back from caustic remarks. Ms Marin makes no secret of enjoying a party lifestyle in her private domain. Yet, the suggestiveness of allegations forced her into a voluntary dope test, that came back clean.
Matters haven’t been helped by Deputy Prime Minister Annika Saarikko. On one hand she said that “the partying lifestyle conveyed by the photo did not match the experience of many Finns struggling with the cost of living crisis.” On the other hand, she was abject when she said that it was not her place to be “a moral guardian of others.” Why she didn’t hold her peace if those last words truly reflect her mindset will no doubt be judged by the Finns.
Boris Johnson quietly paid a fine for violating the rules of his government during the pandemic. The figure isn’t known and frankly, unimportant. That he consistently fibbed publicly and in parliament was what led to his unceremonious exit. That gained importance. Americans didn’t really give a toss about Donald Trump‘s almost daily penchant for falsehood though.
Personal traits don’t necessarily affect the outcome of a person's actions. It’s human nature that chooses to pass judgement on an individual’s action. Ms Ardern shook the trees of moth-eaten views on women leaders and their natural abilities. Ms Marin is a leader with a mind of her own.
As the habit of drugs continues to become more acceptable, Elon Musk had no qualms of being videoed while smoking weed. Yes, it made the headlines. Yes, the murmurs died as quickly. For all the efforts at preventing and tackling drug usage, the billions have failed to even dent the perhaps trillion dollar business; no “weapons of mass destruction” type campaigns sanctioned by the United Nations, led by the powers that be to reduce to rubble countries that openly encourage production and distribution.
After an initial outcry from the media, they live their lives, some with extravagant lifestyles. They too, think speculatively, as does Shakib Al Hasan, the cricketer who has made his fortune beyond means and chooses merrily to keep everyone guessing when and if he will play. He has the right to build his nest egg. What most don’t get is that it is he who decides. What is amusing is his taking in a cool $1 million even after walking away from a betting company endorsement. Even better was the glib retraction -- “he has realized his mistake.”
The lesser privileged are in the meantime stuck with a block -- their views of life ahead shrinking.
Mahmudur Rahman is a writer, columnist, broadcaster, and communications specialist.
