Q. Explain the poem I Think of You by Nazim Hikmet.
Nâzım Hikmet wrote his poems in Turkish. His works were first published in Turkish. Later, they were translated into many languages.
He is one of Turkey’s most famous poets. His impact on international literature is significant. Hikmet’s poetry uses strong images and deep emotions. This has led to his worldwide recognition and literary importance.
I Think of You
I think of you
and I feel the scent of my mother
my mother, the most beautiful of all.
You are on the carousel of the festival inside me
you hover around, your skirt and your hair flying
Mere seconds between finding your beautiful face and losing it.
What is the reason,
why do I remember you like a wound on my heart
what is the reason that I hear your voice when you are so far
and I can’t help getting up with excitement?
I kneel down and look at your hands
I want to touch your hands
but I can’t
you are behind a glass.
Sweetheart, I am a bewildered spectator of the drama
that I am playing in my twilight.
Explanation of I Think of You by Nazim Hikmet
I think of you and I feel the scent of my mother,
My mother, the most beautiful of all.
In these lines from Nazim Hikmet’s poem “I Think of You,” the speaker says when he thinks of someone special, he smells his mother’s scent.
This makes him feel loved and safe. He calls his mother the most beautiful person, showing he greatly respects and admires her.
“You” could also refer to a close friend or family member who is deeply loved and missed.
The speaker is telling the addressee that your memory is warm and comforting, just like the scent of my mother. The comparison to my mother highlights how important and cherished you are in my heart.
The comparison of “you” to the “most beautiful of all” echoes how lovers often idealize and adore their partners. It implies that “you” are the object of the speaker’s romantic affection and desire.
You are on the carousel of the festival inside me,
you hover around, your skirt and your hair flying.
The poet describes his feelings using the image of a carousel at a festival. This carousel shows his emotions and thoughts that are always moving and changing, like a ride at a festival.
When he says, “You hover around,” it means the loved one is in his mind but just out of reach. The loved one appears and disappears quickly in his thoughts.
The phrase “your skirt and your hair flying” portrays the loved one as lively and energetic. It shows movement and freedom in his memories of them.
Mere seconds between finding your beautiful face and losing it.
It shows how brief these moments are. He catches glimpses of the loved one, but they vanish quickly. This creates both joy and sadness. The moments he sees the loved one are precious but do not last long.
The overall passage captures the poet’s emotional highs and lows. His feelings are like a festival ride, full of ups and downs.
The loved one is central to this emotional ride, appearing briefly and leaving a strong impact. The poet feels the excitement and sorrow of these fleeting memories.
What is the reason,
why do I remember you like a wound on my heart,
what is the reason that I hear your voice
when you are so far,
and I can’t help getting up with excitement?
The poet questions why the memory of his loved one feels like a painful wound in his heart. He wonders why he can still hear their voice even when they are far away. This distant voice causes him to feel a strong emotion, making him get up excitedly.
The poet is confused about why these memories and sensations are so powerful and affecting. The mention of a “wound on my heart” shows that remembering a loved one is both painful and unforgettable.
Hearing their voice from a distance shows that the connection is strong, despite the physical separation. The excitement he feels highlights this person’s intense emotional impact on him. The poet tries to understand why these feelings are so deep and persistent.
I kneel down and look at your hands,
I want to touch your hands,
but I can’t, you are behind a glass.
The poet describes a moment of deep longing and frustration. He kneels and looks at the hands of the loved one, showing a sense of reverence and intimacy. He wants to touch their hands, indicating a strong desire for connection and closeness.
However, he cannot do so because the loved one is behind a glass. This glass acts as a barrier, symbolizing the distance or obstacle that prevents him from reaching them.
The act of kneeling signifies the poet’s submission to his feelings and the importance of the loved one in his life. Looking at their hands suggests he finds comfort and meaning in even the smallest details of their presence.
He wants to touch their hands but cannot highlight the frustration and sadness of being separated. The glass represents an invisible but unbreakable barrier that keeps them apart, making the longing even more painful.
Sweetheart, I am a bewildered spectator of the drama
that I am playing in my twilight.
The poet speaks to his loved one, calling them “sweetheart,” which shows affection and intimacy. He describes himself as a “bewildered spectator,” indicating that he feels confused and helpless.
The word “spectator” suggests he is watching his life unfold like a play or drama rather than actively participating.
The phrase “the drama that I am playing” shows that he is both the actor and the audience in his life’s events. This dual role highlights his feelings of being caught in situations he does not fully understand or control.
The term “in my twilight” refers to the later stage of his life, suggesting a time of reflection and uncertainty as he nears the end of his journey.
