Motif
Grief transformed into poetic form
grief_transformed_into_poetic_form
A motif of the Lament, Mourning, and Tragic Recognition family, within the sub-family Grief Imagery and Song. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.
2 occurrences
1 traditions
hindu
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The Ramayan of Valmiki CONTENTS / INVOCATION.(1) / BOOK I.(6) / OM.(8); lines 1157-1236 confidence: high
Válmíki’s thoughts remain fixed on the poor curlew lamenting her slaughtered mate.
The lament over the slain curlew is said to arise spontaneously and later becomes the śloke measure used for the epic.
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The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse CONTENTS / INVOCATION.(1) / BOOK I.(6) / OM.(8); lines 1155-1234 confidence: high
Válmíki remains fixed on the curlew lamenting her slaughtered mate and repeats the grief verse condemning the fowler’s needless killing of the tuneful curlew.
A verse born from shock and grief over the slain curlew is recognized by pupils as a four-lined balanced rhyme that becomes a śloke, then is adopted for the epic.
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