The Power of Poetic Resonance: Reflections on Emotion, Wisdom, and Connection

Last night, while attending Danish Husain captivating performance at the Tata Theater in Mumbai, I found myself on an emotional roller coaster. It was difficult to discern whether it was the poignant dialogues, Danish’s brilliant acting, Sahir Ludhianvi’s timeless lyrics, or the cast’s soulful singing that resonated with me most deeply. What I do know is that for two and a half hours, tears rolled down my cheeks, as the production paid tribute to the legendary lyricist’s powerful poetry. There was even a reference to Ludhianvi’s impact on music directors, who often composed melodies only after he had penned the lyrics, and how he had a say in choosing which composers would set his words to music.

I woke up in the middle of the night with Aristotle’s words reverberating in my mind, “Poetry is finer and more philosophical than history; for poetry expresses the universal, and history only the particular. In my exploration of poetics, I’ve found that tragedy, in particular, has a powerful impact on its audience. As a form of poetry, it represents an action of a superior kind, complete in itself, and of a certain magnitude. Through pity and fear, tragedy achieves a catharsis of these emotions, allowing the audience to experience a purging and relief from the pent-up feelings that such actions can evoke. Thus, poetics, and specifically tragedy, have the unique ability to engage and transform individuals, revealing the universal aspects of the human experience that resonate across time and cultures.”.

Reflecting on my recent journey into poetry and lyricism, I’ve discovered that this medium allows me to synthesize the voices and emotions surrounding me into a harmonious representation of human sensitivity. Unlike storytelling, which often relies on prose, poetry enables me to capture and evoke profound emotions. Many readers have expressed that my poetry resonates within them as their own inner voice or an echo of past emotional experiences. Through this artistic expression, I’ve found a powerful way to connect with others on a deeper, more intimate level.

Last night, as I listened to Sahir Ludhianvi’s songs, I found myself revisiting past experiences, each melody evoking deeply rooted emotions within me. The more melancholic the song, the more authentic and profound the emotional resonance I felt.

While writing this reflection, I’m reminded of my recent experimentation with using poetry as a medium to capture “the voices of customers” at the conclusion of a research project. In this study, we examined the human aspects of doctor-patient interactions within the context of a virtual healthcare concept. Through poetry, I found a powerful means of expressing the emotional nuances of these experiences, bridging the gap between research findings and empathetic understanding.

After recording the poem in my own voice, accompanied by a strong instrumental background, I presented it to the client team. There was a momentary silence on the call, followed by a round of applause. One client team member expressed that the poem created a direct emotional connection with the individuals we were studying, allowing them to deeply resonate with the voices of these individuals. This experience reinforced the power of poetry as an effective and impactful communication tool in research and business contexts.

After the performance, my wife and I had the pleasure of meeting Danish and presenting him with a copy of my book, “Being & Belonging: A Journey of Curiosity and Imagination.” Danish had just participated as a panel member in a discussion of my book at ARTISANS’ Centre the evening before. As I handed him the book, it occurred to me that the diverse mix of panel members during the reading session had evoked a similar emotional resonance in the audience as Sahir’s story and lyrics did that night.

In that moment, I had a realization: it takes years of cultivating curiosity, consciousness, and imagination to eventually reach a point where we begin to express our wisdom through the profound art of poetry. I was reminded of Alana Iqbal’s poem:

हज़ारों साल नर्गिस अपनी बे-नूरी पे रोती है, बड़ी मुश्किल से होता है चमन में दीदा-वर पैदा”

[English translation of the Hindi poem: “For a thousand years has the daffodil wept, for the lack of an eye that would render it whole;

Just once in an epoch a person is born, who possesses the power of the eye of the soul.”]