A Comparative Study of Concrete Visual Poetry: The Case of 'Chhabi te Kabita' by Karunakar Pradhan
International Journal Science & Research
Paper Id- SR261003200624
Published on October, 26, volume- 15, Issue- 10.
Site- https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR261003200624
A Comparative Study of Concrete
Visual Poetry: The Case of 'Chhabi te Kabita' by Karunakar Pradhan
Karunakar Pradhan
Independent Researcher, Kolkata, India
Email: karunakar.pradhan@example.com
Abstract
This paper presents a comparative analysis of concrete
visual poetry as exemplified in Karunakar Pradhan's Bengali collection 'Chhabi
te Kabita' (2026). Comprising over 130 shape poems, the collection arranges
Bengali script into iconic visual forms to engage with contemporary social,
ecological, and philosophical themes. The study situates this body of work
within two lineages: the classical Sanskrit tradition of Chitrakavya and the
international concrete poetry movement that emerged in the 1950s with groups
such as Noigandres in Brazil and the European avant-garde. While classical
Chitrakavya prioritized metrical virtuosity and devotional geometry, and
Western concrete poetry emphasized minimalist reduction and verbivocovisual
materiality, Pradhan's approach retains lyrical narrative depth while employing
organic typographic freedom. Through close reading of selected pieces such as
'Dinosaur o Manush', 'Marubhumir Jahaj', and 'Bok Tapaswi', the paper argues
that this corpus represents a sustained and culturally distinctive contribution
to world visual literature, bridging traditional Bengali lyricism with spatial
typography.
Keywords
Concrete poetry, Visual poetry, Chhabi te Kabita, Bengali
literature, Chitrakavya, Experimental poetry
1. Introduction
Visual poetry, or concrete poetry, treats typographic
arrangement as an inseparable component of meaning. In Bengali literature, this
impulse has found a renewed expression in 'Chhabi te Kabita' (Poetry in
Pictures), a collection of more than 130 visual poems by Karunakar Pradhan.
Published in July 2026 (ISBN: 979-8-90584-786-8), the book arranges Bengali
words into shapes of birds, vessels, prehistoric forms, and symbolic
structures, creating a dual reading experience: first as image, then as text.
This paper offers an authorial self-reflective study that
adopts an analytical framework to compare this contemporary Bengali practice
with both classical Indian and modern international traditions. The objective
is not self-promotion but to document the compositional methodology and
thematic expansion of shape poetry within a regional yet globally resonant
context.
2. Literature Review
2.1 Classical Precedent: Chitrakavya. Sanskrit and Prakrit
Chitrakavya established historical precedent for visual arrangements, including
bandhas shaped as wheels (chakra), lotuses (padma), swords (khadga), and other
symmetrical diagrams. These forms were largely constrained by rigid metrical
puzzles and acrostics intended to showcase technical virtuosity and devotional
praise.
2.2 International Concrete Poetry Movement. From the 1950s
onward, concrete poetry emerged as an international movement. Foundational
contributions include Eugen Gomringer's 'constellations' in Switzerland, the
Brazilian Noigandres group (Augusto de Campos, Haroldo de Campos, Décio
Pignatari) advocating 'verbivocovisual' poetry, and practitioners in Europe and
North America. Recurring ambitions were: breaking free of linear syntax,
treating whitespace as an active structural element, and making typography
itself carry primary meaning, often through radical minimalism and linguistic
reduction.
3. Methodology and Corpus
The corpus comprises over 130 poems from 'Chhabi te Kabita',
including 'Dinosaur o Manush' (Dinosaur and Human), 'Bok Tapaswi' (The
Hypocritical Heron), and 'Marubhumir Jahaj' (Desert Ship). Analysis focuses on
three dimensions: (a) thematic depth, (b) typographic freedom, and (c) scale
and sustained vision. Each poem was analyzed for the relationship between
visual form and semantic content, use of non-alphabetic characters (^,
brackets, H-symbols), and spatial density.
4. Analysis and Findings
4.1 Modern Thematic Depth. Rather than using visual geometry
merely for technical display, Pradhan's shape poetry engages with complex
contemporary subjects. For example, 'Dinosaur o Manush' addresses historical
extinction and human responsibility, while 'Bok Tapaswi' critiques social
hypocrisy.
4.2 Organic Typographic Freedom. The layouts break away from
rigid classical grids. They utilize fluid spacing, brackets, carets (^), and
variable density to make typography dynamically enact the emotional and
physical reality of the subject. The Bengali script, with its lyrical curves,
is exploited to create structured silhouettes such as sun, violin, and bird.
4.3 Scale and Sustained Vision. Crafting a massive,
interconnected collection of over 130 shape poems represents an unprecedented
commitment to this specialized medium within modern Bengali and Indian
literature. Many international practitioners approached concrete poetry as
brief conceptual exercises, whereas this corpus sustains a cohesive aesthetic
over a large body of work.
5. Comparative Discussion
5.1 Minimalist Abstraction vs. Narrative Depth.
International practitioners often treated the poem as a sparse 'constellation'
using few words to create a purely structural, self-contained visual object. In
contrast, Pradhan retains a rich, expansive narrative heart. Even within strict
geometric shapes, the poems tackle concrete social themes and human-earth
relationships, using spatial design to amplify storytelling rather than strip
it away.
5.2 Typographical Experimentation vs. Lyrical Tradition.
While the Noigandres group championed words as physical material and phonetic
blocks, often moving into radical abstraction, Pradhan's work remains anchored
in lyrical cadence rooted in classical Bengali verse and folk sensibilities.
Typography mimics musical phrasing or natural postures, such as the patient
verticality of the heron in 'Bok Tapaswi'.
5.3 Isolated Experiments vs. Sustained Corpus. Western and
Latin American practitioners produced concrete poetry as discrete avant-garde
experiments. Developing a vast, cohesive corpus of over 130 interconnected
shape poems represents an immense, sustained creative output rarely matched in
scale.
6. Case Study: 'Bok Tapaswi' (The Hypocritical Person)
The poem employs the image of the heron (bok) as a metaphor
for hypocrisy and hidden predation. Outwardly, the bird appears ascetic —
standing motionless on one leg, seemingly absorbed in meditation, evoking a
sage. Beneath this deceptive calm lies a calculated predator that waits
patiently and strikes with its long beak to swallow unsuspecting fish.
Original excerpt (Bengali):
বক তপস্বী ( Hypocritical Person)
O O ঐ মাঠে
O O O O দেখাOযায়
OOOO O বকেরা সব
O O
O ধ্যান
O
O করে
O যায়
এক
পায়ে
দাঁড়িয়ে
চুপ রয়
মাছকে ঠকায়, অপেক্ষায় থাকে।
দেখায় তারা মহা তপস্বী, মনে নেই কোনো হিংসা ও পাপ।
মাছ মনে করে- এদের ভয় কিসের? কাছে এসে ঘুরে
বেড়ায়।
সুযোগ বুঝে লম্বা ঠোঁটে একটি মাছ তুলে নেয়- অন্য মাছেরা টের না পায়।
এমনি করে সময় যায়, একে একে সব মাছ পেটে যায়।
সমাজেও বক তপস্বী থাকে
ছদ্মবেশে
মুখে সেবার ভণ্ড নামাবলী,
অন্তরে বিষের থাকে
থলি ।
অন্ধকারে নিরীহকে গিলে খায়,
কেউ তা দেখতে না পায়।
H H
H H
H H
H H H H H H H H
H H H H
H H
H
------------------------- (( H
)) -----------------------------------
--------------------- (( H H
H)) ------------------------------------
------------------------ (( H H ))
--------------------------------------
The poem extends this allegory to human society. Just as the
heron cloaks violence in meditation, certain individuals conceal malice behind
masks of service or piety. The 'bhondo namabali' (false titles of service) and
'bisher tholi' (bag of poison) symbolize duplicity. The visual arrangement of
'H' symbols and horizontal lines in the printed version reinforces imagery of
barriers and hidden traps — a concrete representation of disguise and
entrapment. For international readers, it resonates as a universal allegory of
deception, parallel to moral fables where outward sanctity masks inner
corruption.
7. Conclusion
Viewed within Indian and world literature, 'Chhabi te
Kabita' occupies a distinctive position. It honors the ancient spirit of
Chitrakavya while anchoring it in modern, socially conscious expression.
Simultaneously, it engages with the international avant-garde's quest to make
language spatial and tactile, while infusing that impulse with a deeply
grounded, visionary poetic heritage rooted in Bengali lyricism. The rare
synthesis of avant-garde form and lyrical narrative, sustained over 130 poems,
warrants serious critical attention as a landmark contribution to experimental
Bengali literature.
References
·
Pradhan, K. (2026). Chhabi te Kabita. ISBN:
979-8-90584-786-8.
·
Campos, A. de, Pignatari, D., & Campos, H.
de. (1958). Plano-piloto para poesia concreta. Noigandres.
·
Gomringer, E. (1954). Konstellationen.
·
Solt, M. E. (Ed.). (1968). Concrete Poetry: A
World View. Indiana University Press.
·
Gerow, E. (1971). A Glossary of Indian Figures
of Speech. Mouton.
Declaration
This is an authorial self-reflective study of the author's
own creative corpus. The author declares no conflict of interest beyond
authorship of the primary text analyzed.
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