The Apocalyptic Vision in G.M. Muktibodh’s “The Void”

Abstract

This paper aims to explore how modernism experiences a traumatic change that led many Indian writers to delve into an apocalyptic vision. The prolific Hindi poet, essayist, literary and political critic, and fiction writer Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh (1917-1964) also wrote extensively in other genres. Together with Surya Kant Tripathi "Nirala," he is generally considered to have been a forerunner of contemporary Hindi poetry in India. He played a crucial role in the development of the 1950s' Nayi Kahani and Nayi Kavita Modernism in Hindi literature. The development of "New Criticism" in Indian literature can also be traced back to him. His immense popularity as an author led to the translation of many of his works into English. The present poem ‘The Void’ is the translated version of his ‘Shunya’ by Vinay Dharwadker. In this poem, he implements different images and symbols to illustrate his apocalyptic view. The use of melancholic mood emphasizes Muktibodh’s pessimistic vision of humanity. He depicts the void which exists within every soul as the dark side of our mind which enslaves us and devours humanity from within. It is generally a part of our subconscious mind where our dark desires flourish. This paper delves deep into Muktibodh’s proposition that the void is destructive and is like a communicable disease that does not only make its prey to an individual but it is a threat to the whole human society which will lead to apocalypse.