Poem An Ancient Indian Coin by Daud Kamal

An Ancient Indian Coin

by Daud Kamal

An Ancient Indian Coin by Daud Kamal is a lyric poem that explores the theme of identity and belonging with the history and culture of India. The poem consists of four stanzas, each with four lines, and follows an ABAB rhyme scheme. The speaker of the poem is a person who has inherited an ancient Indian coin from his or her grandfather, and who contemplates the meaning and value of this coin in the present context.

The first stanza introduces the coin as a relic of a past civilization, with the image of a “gazelle embossed on a lopsided moon” (line 1). The gazelle is a symbol of grace and beauty, while the moon is a symbol of time and change. The coin represents a connection to a rich and diverse heritage that has been distorted and damaged by colonialism and Partition. The speaker wonders how the coin came into his or her grandfather’s possession, and imagines that it was “plucked from the earth” (line 3) by a peasant who sold it to a trader. The coin thus has a history of exchange and circulation, but also of exploitation and loss.

The second stanza shifts the focus to the present, where the speaker lives in a city that is “choked with stars” (line 5). The stars are not the celestial bodies that illuminate the night sky, but rather the artificial lights that create pollution and noise. The speaker feels alienated and suffocated by the urban environment, which contrasts with the natural imagery of the coin. The speaker also feels a sense of nostalgia for the “old bazaar” (line 6) where his or her grandfather bought the coin, and where he or she could find “a thousand things” (line 7) that reflect the diversity and vitality of Indian culture. The speaker laments that these things are now “gone” (line 8), implying that they have been replaced by modernization and homogenization.

The third stanza reveals the speaker’s desire to escape from the city and return to the land of his or her ancestors. The speaker wishes to “fly away” (line 9) with the coin, which he or she sees as a “passport” (line 10) to a different world. The speaker imagines travelling to “the valley of Kashmir” (line 11), which is a region that has been disputed and divided by India and Pakistan since Partition. The speaker idealizes Kashmir as a place of peace and beauty, where he or she could “lie down in a field of flowers” (line 12) and forget about the troubles of the present.

The fourth stanza, however, shatters this fantasy by reminding the speaker of the harsh reality of Kashmir. The speaker hears “a distant sound” (line 13) that is not the music of nature, but rather the noise of war. The speaker realizes that Kashmir is not a paradise, but a battleground, where “blood flows like water” (line 14). The speaker also recognizes that he or she is not welcome in Kashmir, as he or she is seen as an outsider and an enemy by both sides. The speaker feels “a sudden chill” (line 15) which signifies fear and isolation. The speaker ends the poem by holding the coin close to his or her heart as if seeking comfort and protection from it.

The poem thus presents a complex and conflicted view of identity and belonging in postcolonial India. The speaker cherishes the coin as a symbol of his or her ancestral roots but also realizes that these roots have been severed and distorted by historical events. The speaker longs for a connection to a land and a culture that he or she feels estranged from but also acknowledges that this connection is impossible and illusory. The poem suggests that postcolonial identity is marked by fragmentation and displacement, as well as by nostalgia and resistance.

Comparison

A possible comparison for this poem is another poem by Daud Kamal titled A Remote Beginning, which also deals with similar themes or issues. In this poem, Kamal reflects on his childhood memories of growing up in Peshawar, Pakistan, during British colonial rule. He recalls how he learned English from his father, who was an Anglophile and a civil servant, and how he was exposed to both Western and Eastern influences in his education and environment. He also remembers how he witnessed the violence and chaos of Partition, which resulted in the creation of Pakistan as a separate nation from India in 1947. He describes how he felt torn between two worlds, two languages, and two identities.

Both poems use imagery, metaphor, and rhyme to convey their messages, but they differ in tone and perspective. An Ancient Indian Coin is more pessimistic and bitter, while A Remote Beginning is more nostalgic and ambivalent. An Ancient Indian Coin focuses on one object that represents a lost heritage, while A Remote Beginning covers various aspects of a hybrid culture. An Ancient Indian Coin criticizes the effects of colonialism and Partition on India, while A Remote Beginning acknowledges the benefits and drawbacks of both. Both poems, however, share a common theme of postcolonial identity and belonging, and how they are shaped by history and culture.