Siddhicharan Shrestha was a revolutionary writer of his time. He was sentenced in jail for 18 years as he wrote against Rana's rule. He was political prisoner.
It is a political poem that suggests to arise the voice against any types of oppression and suppression. The poem addresses Nepali people to raise their voice against the inequalities of the past and brings in a revival of freedom and self-respect. In the poem, he has expressed feelings, problems and pathos of common Nepalese people.
In the history of Nepal, political systems have been changed many times. In our society, still there is the ditch between rich and poor people. Similarly, people still believe in superstitions, and there is the problem of discrimination and corruptions. The dreams and hopes of common Nepalese people are changing but the economic condition of our nation is same. Only few people are grasping the opportunity.
Through the poem, the poet tells the reader to wake up from the ignorant and encourages us to arise up. He tells us to speak truth. He advices us not to follow distasteful rituals, heartless class divisions, false belief, untouchability, and chain of discrimination.
He inspires us to change our Nepal by transforming from old Nepal to New Nepal. It can only be possible if we unite. If we want to make awake the nation in New Nepal, it is essential to change our social, economic, cultural, religion, and political condition.
Questions and answers
1. Why is courage stifled? What is the effect of such a stifling?
Courage is stifled on Nepali people because they are exploited and oppressed by Rana. Due to massive domination of the past, they could not resist their voice against Rana's cruelty.
2. Write a character sketch of the type of person the speaker is on the basis of what he says in the poem.
The speaker of the poem is political rebel and freedom fighter who does not want us to bear any types of cruelty, atrocity and ill treatment. He does not want to see exploitation upon poor Nepali He wants to raise the voice of poor Nepali people against Rana's atrocity and domination.
3.What is the tone and mood of the poem ?
The tone and mood of the poem is revolutionary and reformational. In other words, the poet wants us to fight for our freedom and does not want us to bear any types onpression and heartless pathos and ethos between poor and rich. In such class divisions, there lack brotherhood and fraternity. Upper class people aim to exploit the poor in the name of their status, name, fame and wealth.
4.What wrongs of "Old Nepal" does the poet want "New Nepal" to amend?
In old Nepal, the gap between richer and poor had increased. Superstation, class division, oppression were rooted deeply. Dreams and hopes of common people were shattered. There was social injustice, inequalities all around in Nepal. People were conservative and uneducated. So, in new Nepal, the poet wants to amend those old Nepal prevalent negative aspects. He wants people to fight against inequalities and injustice. To end such negative aspects of old Nepal, people should unite.
5. The poem reads like a prayer. Do you agree? Give reasons.
It is like a prayer because he prays all Nepalese to have a strong heart to resist ill- treatment and to have a self respect. He also encourages people to arise, and to wake up from their ignorant status.
