Lakshmipat Singhania Academy
(Kolkata)
Exploring Abol Tabol
Indian Author Sukumar Ray's unique work of literary nonsense verse – Abol Tabol, completed 100 years on September 19, 2023. Nonsense rhymes are great subsets of English literature as an act of defiance against the then ruling class, and to many it is the first entry into the world of poetry. As a literary genre nonsense has been frequently used to create compelling and mystical lands, creatures and stories that excite and baffle readers. The true' amount of nonsense literature that has been created is massive, but despite this as a genre it is overlooked and misunderstood.
Sukumar Ray established his love of nonsense literature in college where he published his own hand-written magazine about humour called “Shaare botrish bhaja". He briefly studied in England in 1911 and in 1915 took over his father's magazine “Sandesh”. He has notably been influenced by Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll. Texts such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll are universally understood as being nonsense literature. However, there is a vast collection of other nonsense literature that many people have never read or even heard of, some of which this anthology aims to show.
Sukumar Ray was at the forefront of differentiating Indian nonsense in its own right. In Ray’s introduction to his 1923 works Abol Tabol, he claims that “This book was conceived in the spirit of whimsy. It is not meant for those who do not enjoy that spirit.” His poem ‘Gibberish-Gibberish’ explores language and music through the use of alliteration and rhyme. He also toys with nonsense words such as “glusician”. Phonological sounds are significant in Ray’s poems. Ray describes nonsense as “mad songs” that cause your mind to “float off like a loon” which perfectly shows his opinion of what nonsense should be - free and full of whimsy. The second Sukumar Ray poem in this anthology is ‘Mish-Mash’, an incredibly imaginative and unique poem that defies all logic and combines completely different animals in order to create a new species such as the “elewhale” and the “duckupine”. The final Sukumar Ray poem is ‘The Ol’ Crone’s Home’. As previously mentioned this poem adheres to the Indian notion of respectfulness, however it evokes powerful images of poverty and age that fit with Heyman’s belief that nonsense literature acts to educate children of the ‘awful’ in life which they have not yet encountered. This social comment on poverty will resonate with both adults and children and acts in contrast to the lives of most readers. This poem uses a couplet rhyming scheme which allows the poem to flow freely. Susan Stewart believes that “nonsense can be seen as an aid to sense making”.
Four students of Lakshmipat Singhania Academy, namely, Rai Acharya Chowdhury, Abir Paul, Aritra Kundu and Avilash Ghosh went to interview Mr. Pradip Sengupta, the author of a children’s pop-up book based on Sukumar Ray’s Abol Tabol and Ms Subha Das Mollick, a documentary film maker, who has made a documentary on the making of the popup book. The students were fortunate to see the professor’s unique collection of stones from prehistoric times which included, a dinosaur egg. It was hard to correlate the venerable professor with the author and creator of a children’s popup book based on one of the most iconic texts in Bengali literature. How multifaceted can a man be?
The students interviewed them in his apartment in Kasba (a locality of Kolkata, India) and had a conversation that truly enlightened them. Avilash and Aritra were amused when they saw the glint in the eyes of the veteran filmmaker when she talked about Sukumar Ray, his works, specifically “Abol Tabol” his omnibus of nonsense verses. Maybe Sukumar Ray does that, reigniting the joy of childhood in people who've left theirs far behind.
What really touched their hearts the most was the intent behind the creation of this piece of art. The professor had made this popup book for his granddaughter who lived abroad and needed to be educated about her rich literary roots. After the interviews there was a mini screening of the documentary by Ms Subha Das Mollick. All the student interviewers felt that Abol Tabol as a book of verses still appealed to youngsters for whom it is intended.
Feedback of the students on the Interview with Mr. Pradip Sengupta
Feedback of the students on the Interview with Ms. Subha Das Mollick
Abol Tabol Popup Book
Two students of Lakshmipat Singhania Academy ,namely, Rai Acharjya Chowdhury and Avilash Ghosh interviewed Dr. Anindya Kanti Biswas, who is a professor, painter and art enthusiast. The students were very interested in knowing about the exhibition he held in October based on Sukumar Ray's Abol Tabol in an art gallery in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This allowed them to know a lot about Sukumar Ray’s influence in not only India but out of India as well. The students interviewed him online and had a conversation and got to know a lot about how he potrayed the characters of the poems of Abol Tabol with colours. Rai and Avilash were thrilled to see the black and white pictures of the characters so beautifully painted into colours which makes them so much more appealing. However, the highlight of the interview for them was when he spoke about his vision of establishing an academic institution aimed at researching Sukumar Ray's works and thus bringing focus to the many aspects of his artistry that have not been academically explored much.
Feedback of the students on the Interview with Dr. Ananda Kanti Biswas
Interview with Dr. Anindya Kanti Biswas
Feedback of the students on the Interview with Mr. Soumyo Banerjee
Interview with Mr. Soumyo Banerjee
Two students of Lakshmipat Singhania Academy, namely, Rai Acharjya Chowdhury and Avilash Ghosh interviewed Mr. Soumyo Banerjee, the author of gobblebook that is a translation of Sukumar Ray’s poems from Abol Tabol in English. The students were happy to get to talk to somebody who explained to them the value of Sukumar Ray’s poems and wishes to spread the effect of Sukumar Ray not only to Bengali’s but also in other languages. The students interviewed him online and had a conversation that truly enlightened them about how unique Sukumar Ray’s poems are and how difficult it can be to translate. Rai and Avilash were amused to see how beautifully the poems were translated. The best part of Mr. Soumyo Banerjee’s gobblebook is that it does not just focus on literary translation but to keep the humor and rhyme intact just like the original poems. But one thing that they really liked was a little recitation by Mr. Soumyo Banerjee of his favourite poem translation i.e., “Huko Mukho Hangla” translated to “The Pot-faced Pong”. Both of them noticed the joy on his face during the recitation which shows that Sukumar Ray’s poem, be it in any language, shall always have the that magical effect on the reader.
