Can't by Vikram Seth
Author: Vikram Seth is a popular Indian novelist and poet. Author of the most celebrated novel " A suitable boy". He was born on 20 June 1952 in Calcutta. In 198p, he wrote his first book of poetry titles " Mappings". Some of his awards are, Padma Shri award in 2007, common wealth writers prize for ' A suitable boy' in 1994, Sahitya akademi award for ' The golden gate' in 1998.
Poem summary/analysis:
I find I simply can't get out of bed.
I shiver and procrastinate and stare.
I'll press the reset button in my head.
In the first stanza, the poet by saying that he can't get out of his bed. He wants to postponed everything. But then he says he wants to rest the button in his head to start a new day. The title of the poem ' can't ' refers that for sure we cannot do something.
I hate my work but I am in the red.
I'd quit it all if I could live on air.
I find I simply can't get out of bed.
In this we can see that he hate his work but he wants to work. Because from the line" I'm in red red " we can get answer. "I'm in red" refers that a person has spent money more than the amount in their account. So to equal it he must work. In the next line he dreams that if he had a chance to quit he would be happy. And ends this stanza by saying that he simply can't get out of his bed.
My joints have rusted and my brain is lead.
I drank too much last night, but now I swear
I'll press the reset button in my head.
Here the poet says since he drank too much in the previous night his joints have rusted and brain is lead. Lead is a heavy metal. His brain is too heavy.so he wants to reset the button in his head. We can also find that in the odd stanzas he ends by "i'll press the reset button in my head".
My love has gone. What do I have instead? -
Hot-water bottle, God and teddy bear.
I find I simply can't get out of bed.
Here, the poet feels that his love has gone and questions what else he has. And answers by referring inanimate objects such as hot-watter bottle, God , teddy bear. Here We can find that in the even stanzas he ends by " i find i simply can't get out of bed"
The dreams I dreamt have filled my soul with dread.
The world is mad, there's darkness everywhere.
I'll press the reset button in my head.
In this stanza, the poet says the dreams that he dreamt is filling his soul with fear and here we xan see the image of post- colonial period " the world is mad" "darkness". At The post-colonial period due to war the people suffered a lot. So they it as dark period. And again he ends by his wish that he want to reset.
Who'll kiss my tears away or earn my bread?
Who'll reach the clothes hung on that distant chair?
I must, I simply must get out of bed
And press that reset button in my head
In the final stanza , he questions that who is there for him to earn and to take clothes that hung on distant chair. And he then says that only he can do and so he wants to reset the button.
