Why the poem Daffodils by William Wordsworth is particularly meaningful to me:

The Poem Daffodils by William Wordsworth captures the beauty of tens of thousands of daffodils that he suddenly finds as he keeps going around the valleys and hills, next to the lake.

They appear to be dancing and swinging as they remind him of the innumerable stars that twinkle in the Milky Way, and although the waves next to the daffodils came and went, they were no way close to the waves created by the daffodils and keeps looking at them until he can quench his eyes, of seeing the beauty of nature. He carries that very scene, with him in his heart, and remembers it any time he finds himself pensive. 

This thought of remembering the beauty of nature and finding oneself happy is so close to my heart. Any time I find myself not very cheerful, or absorbed in some deep thoughts, I recollect the poem and the flowers that I can imagine and visualize, as the poet may have found, all of a sudden and feel like my burden is removed and floats away like a dark cloud in a windy evening. I also remember the beauty of flowers I have seen in Kodaicanal and the Himalayas, in a Sikari boat across Dal lake and also the beauty of the hills, reckons me that the world offers much more beauty than one is able to remember always. Neither stars or moonlight or pleasant skies, which are all so beautiful, are asking anyone to pay price to enjoy their beauty! All we have to do, to forget about the problems one encounters is just to dwell upon the beauty of earth, and Universe, and trust the eternal truth, that Universe is ever so changing and lovely. 

Poem: Daffodils

Poet: William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils; 

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed- and gazed- but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude; 

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils. 

On Dr. Chitra Divakaruni's novel, Before We Visit The Goddess:

Unlike other books, that are routine, narratives of stories, in a chronological way, books that are thought provoking are chasing one's laziness, and lethargy, in reading a novel, and expect them to run with them, do things, chores, and dream and come back and enjoy what they gathered all along and then again go back and continue re reading to understand the depth of the story and heart of the author.

Before We Visit The Goddess, is one such novel, sculpted by Dr. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, and lead the reader to run, and swim along as they present the story in different parts of the world, and times, and bringing them all together, in the unity of the Universal Truth, the generosity of the Divine Mother. After reading this book, on hearing the author narrate the excerpts, one cannot but dwell upon this Universal Truth, that the Divine Mother is the reason, and leader of our lives and destiny. Whether one wants to think of the Adi ParaaSakthi or the mother, who brought them into this world, raised them, trained them, and brought them up, and watched one achieve their dreams, struggle for success, it is mother, the Reason D'être. This sensitive feeling, like a very delicate wet strand of thread, unites our consciousness,  humanity and the World, whether it is East or West, occidental or Oriental, Earth or outer space, living beings or life giving planets and stars. It is that thread, like gravitational pull, keeps the strings in their orbits and choreograph the cosmic dance, with an artistic balance of music, color and splendour!

The seriousness of the traditional, Bengali mom, in being concerned about her children, and taking the responsibility of transmitting the culture to the newest generations, the anxiety of a typical mom, in the present age about the concerns regarding their offspring and their future goals, achievements, and perceiving the Truth, the challenges a young woman faces in her life and the conflict as they find their expectations and dreams and reality clutter, like spilled pearls on a string, until they take each one with the grace of Divine Mother and sort their reality, that she is not just a belief system, but the source and inspiration for every thing to be created, then the path is clear, for one to be prepared, Before We Visit The Goddess!

I cannot help my mind slipping away into imagination and seeing what a great production this story generates, like a Hollywood movie, going fast, going slow, now present, intertwined with past, and jumping in quanta into the future, and never know where it would pull us, to float into the celestial and beyond! Never read one before, of such pleasing, thought provoking, challenging and dynamic imagination!

Kudos to Dr. Chitra Divakaruni, and cannot wait for the next work of art, science, aesthetics and charisma!

Uma Pochampalli