Question

What isthe relation between amalkanti and author

Answer 1

Amalkanti' is a poem written originally in Bengali by Nirendranath Chakrabarti but made available to all non-Bengali but English knowing speakers in an English translation of the same by Sujit Mukherjee and Meenakshi Mukherjee. The poem deals with a very common situation in the lives of school-going children who often discuss what'each one of them wants to be when grown-up. Amalkanti is a friend of the speaker and the two study in the same class. The speaker tells us that Amalkanti was not very bright and in fact quite dull at studies. But he had a dream unlike any other student in class. He wanted to become sunlight! While the rest of the students followed conventional paths and had common expectations in life which even got fulfilled, Amalkanti's dream was very different. `He wanted to be sunlight'. This desire is very strong in Amalkanti's heart but the poem ends by telling us that he could not become sunlight. In fact he got a poorly paid job in a printing press and worked in a dark and dingy room. It is left lo the reader to read between the lines and determine who are the really successful people in this poem. Is it the group of those youngsters who become doctors and lawyers without caring too deeply about it or is it Amalkanti who is not at all successful in the conventional terms?

Answer 2

Amalkanti is the author's childhood friend.

The primary character of the poem is called "Amalkanti," which is Sanskrit for "pure brilliance." Amalkanti's name is a perfect fit for his persona because he aspires to become sunlight, which in this context alludes to the origin of inspiration. Whether Amalkanti succeeds in turning into sunlight or not is implied by Nirendranath Chakraborty's use of the literary device irony. Irony is a technique or a remark when the speaker's implied meaning starkly contrasts with the meaning that is presented outwardly.

The speaker claims that Amalkanti is a childhood friend who attended the same school as him. Amalkanti struggled academically and lacked academic aptitude. He frequently arrived late to school and never finished the courses. When asked to conjugate a verb, he was unable to do so and became silent. This may be the result of his constant attention span problems and tendency to stare out the window during class. The poet goes on to add that everyone in his class felt bad for him.

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