Unrequited Love in the Streets of Shillong: The Tragic Story of U Bah
U Bah, hailing from Bhoi, a man of impetuous and riotous mien,
Inclined to intemperate excess and remorse,
On one such Christmas eve, he lurched forth from the tavern,
With but a single aim: a woman, Ka Kong, to bed.
In the streets of Shillong, his gait unsteady,
His inebriate mind fixated on base lust,
He encountered a woman, of her favors ready,
And without hesitation, with her did he entrust.
But as the nights progressed and he recurrently visited her,
His heart was ensnared in feelings for her,
Though she, with numerous men had been intimate before,
And to him, no affection did she proffer.
His family, aghast and disheartened, sought
To alter his mind, they called for a prayer service with a priest to pray for him,
But his passion was to no avail, for he was bound
by the matrilineal society's legacy and his role as the main Mama.
In solitude and whiskey, U Bah did reside,
His heart for her, a love unreturned, a final adieu.
About this poem
The sonnet "U Bah" presents a story of a man, U Bah, hailing from Bhoi, who is characterized as impetuous and riotous in his behavior, and inclined to intemperate excess and remorse. On one Christmas eve, he leaves a tavern with the singular goal of bedding a woman, Ka Kong. As he stumbles through the streets of Shillong, his drunken state causes him to fixate on base lust and he encounters a woman who offers him her favors. Without hesitation, he entrusts himself to her. As the nights pass and he continues to visit her, he develops feelings for her, despite her lack of affection for him and her history with other men. His family, shocked and disappointed, seek to alter his mind through a prayer service with a priest, but his passion persists. Ultimately, he is unable to leave his family, due to his attachment to the matrilineal society and his role as the main Mama. He lives out his days in solitude and whiskey, his love for Ka Kong unreturned, a final adieu. The sonnet is written in iambic pentameter, and follows the rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The language is complex and elevated, with words such as "impetuous," "intemperate," and "matrilineal." more »
Written on November 05, 2016
Submitted by Mawphniang.Napoleon on January 17, 2023
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 57 sec read
- 2 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | XXXX ABAB CCXC XXXX XX |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic heptameter |
Characters | 945 |
Words | 189 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 2 |
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"Unrequited Love in the Streets of Shillong: The Tragic Story of U Bah" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/148904/unrequited-love-in-the-streets-of-shillong:-the-tragic-story-of-u-bah>.
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