Lessons 38–39 · 2 lessons · Q. Yo‘ldoshev, V. Qodirov, J. Yo‘ldoshbekov. Literature: textbook for Grade 9 of general secondary schools. Revised and expanded 4th edition. “O‘zbekiston” NMIU, Tashkent, 2019
39
The poetry of Abdulla Oripov
Textbook: pp. 227–228
GoalExplain the main features of Abdulla Oripov’s poetry (sincerity, inner anguish, folk-rooted images, fine observation).
According to the textbook, Oripov’s lyrics brought into Uzbek poetry the images of heartaches, inner anguish and dreams that turned into regrets. Before him many poems were judged by theme, with how they were written coming second; Oripov brought thoughtful sorrow and thought into poetry that had dried of feeling. He told one person’s pain, his own, not by shouting but in a whisper, so sincerity is strong in his poems. The textbook writes that in the 1960s–70s his poetry saved feelings from drying up and that the poet can be called a creator who made his own age. Sometimes in a single line he gives a whole mood: the state of mind during an earthquake, the years of youth, the people’s worries, the landscape of the homeland and love are drawn in compact images. His similes have a base in life; in an apricot blossom that many have seen he can notice a sign of life continuing, and he renders even complex, abstract feelings tangible.
Worked examples
Example: everyone sees apricot blossoms in spring, but the poet notices in them the continuation of life. This is “observation” – finding what others did not see.
Example: “a poem read in a whisper” has a calm, gentle tone. Unlike loud slogans, such a poem helps build a closer conversation with the reader.
Class activity
Choose a nature scene you like (for example a tree in spring), find in it a detail others may not notice and write it in 3–4 sentences in your own words; do not copy any poem.
Practice
1
According to the textbook, what did Oripov’s lyrics bring into Uzbek poetry?
Images of heartache, inner anguish and dreams turned into regrets.
2
Why does the textbook say writing “in a whisper” helped sincerity?
Because a loud voice distances a person from others, while a quiet voice brings them closer.
3
Explain “power of observation” using the apricot-blossom example.
Everyone sees the blossom; the poet notices in it a sign that life goes on.
4
How do you understand “a poet creates his own age”?
A genuine talent does not submit to the barriers of its time but influences it.