"CHORDS OF SIGHS"- author Arben Iliazi
A volume
with a strong artistic and psychological impact
By Kujtim Hajdari
Insights from the poetic volume "Chords of Sighs"
by the poet Arben Iliazi
Arben Iliazi, following extensive experience as a journalist, playwright, and poet, introduces himself to the global audience with the English volume "Chords of Sighs."
The volume has a strong artistic impact, characterized by the structure, form of the poems, and the expressive literary figures employed in the function of thought.
To be as unrestricted as possible in expression, the poet does not adhere to a strict scheme or rhyme or metrics, which gives the poems a flowing, almost musical quality. This lack of structure reflects the theme of moving thoughts and the fluidity of emotions.
For the poet, freedom outside strict rules and the skillful use of words allows a smooth expression of thoughts and emotions, a tendency to escape, and the poet's desire to soar in his thoughts.
This volume contains many features, literary figures, and expressive tools, but we will focus on a few, such as metaphor, personification, repetition, the inner struggle of the lyrical hero, the contrast with the society in which he lives, and the great desire and efforts for change.
The metaphors are abundant yet never excessive or unclear, allowing the words and phrases to unfold with all their colors.
"In my thoughts for a long time / many candles have been extinguished," expresses the poet, implying the dreams and desires that have been lost along the way.
Or the extremely impressive metaphors when he speaks of love;
"...dreams of bursting birds / with chirps / hanging on green branches of waiting / whispering sighs..." and many others like this, which impress with the beauty of expression, can be found in almost every poem.
By extensively using metaphors, he conveys multidimensional emotions to such a degree that we can call him the poet of brilliant metaphors, radiating artistic beauty and powerful messages. For example, "The earth wipes away pain with its hands," suggests a nurturing yet indifferent force.
Similarly, he expresses complex emotions through personification. For example, "Thoughts tremble" personifies thoughts as living beings, indicating a chaotic mental state.
He often uses repeated phrases such as "I am leaving... yes, I am leaving," which emphasize the urgency and determination of the lyrical hero's departure.
By avoiding strict structure and employing free verse, he enriches the themes of freedom and space for expression.
The choice and experience of crafting free verse also contribute to a fluid and fragmented reading experience, mirroring the lyrical hero's unsettling introspection.
The volume is rich with vivid imagery and symbolism. Phrases like "the chords of sighs,""the gray drawing," and "the tears of music" evoke a sensory experience that intertwines sound, sight, and emotions. The images of "the moons leaning" and "the rays of light bending" suggest a surreal, dreamlike quality, enhancing the ethereal atmosphere of the poetry.
By incorporating natural elements such as "the shells of the islands" and "the sea," the text conveys a sense of isolation and introspection. The phrase "the moons" that dream and hide suggests a mystical quality, symbolizing hidden emotions or thoughts. The imagery of waves and light creates a dynamic interaction between movement and stillness, reflecting the hero's internal conflict.
Vivid images evoke powerful emotions and ideas, such as "narrow evenings" and "laurel leaves of breath," which suggest a sense of suffocation or containment, possibly symbolizing internal conflict or anxiety- a feeling in search of an outlet.
Or "the wings of my shadow," which suggests a surreal and otherworldly journey, potentially indicating self-exploration or heightened awareness.
Throughout the volume, we observe the masterful use of objects, transforming them into powerful symbols laden with expressive depth. For instance, objects such as "candles" and "snails" serve as fitting symbols; the candle represents light or hope, while the snails, symbolizing the end, evoke a sense of slow movement or eternity.
The poems possess a contemplative, melancholic, and introspective tone. Words like "sigh,""extinguished," and "sorrows" enhance a mood of longing and reflection. The sense of nostalgia and the passage of time are artistically conveyed, as illustrated in the line "The hours push each other and the stars burn."
Similarly, it expresses the fatigue and desire to escape from oneself and others. The mood shifts between introspection and a sense of longing, creating a touching emotional landscape. The spiritual state is contemplative and somber, built with contrasting images of light and darkness.
This tone of melancholy and introspection can be found in many poems, creating images with a strong and sometimes painful impact, such as in the line "gray skies settle among my hair," which suggests aging, a burden of experience, or despair.
"The Chords of Sighs" metaphorically links music with emotion, implying that sighs can express deep and unspoken feelings likethe metaphor "wave to wave" reflects the overwhelming nature of the lyrical hero's emotions as they struggle with anxiety and regret.
This experience of the poet and artistic mastery make the work radiate with a rare force, leaving indelible impressions on the reader.
Similarly, from a psychological perspective, the volume has a broad, multidimensional breath, conveying deep feelings of emotional turmoil and longing.
The images of "the chords of sighs" and "the extinguished love" suggest not only a profound sense of loss but also a drive towards a burning longing, a desire for change. This reflects a psychological state where the lyrical hero is confronted with unfulfilled desires and the remnants of past emotions.
"Words are interrupted... thoughts drift away," says the poet, giving us a sense of disconnection and mental movement. This can be seen as a psychological response to overwhelming emotions, where the mind struggles to focus, and thoughts scatter. It reflects a state of introspection and contemplation, where the hero gets lost in their thoughts and is shaken by deep feelings of emotional turmoil.
Phrases like "weary" and "bitten by regret," along with many others, show that the hero is facing feelings of exhaustion. Regret expresses and suggests a psychological state characterized by anxiety and the desire for relief from emotional pain.
As we see in the repeated phrase "I am leaving... yes, I am leaving," the strong desire to escape from both oneself and the expectations of others is expressed through protest. This reflects a common psychological response to overwhelming emotions, where individuals seek to distance themselves from their internal struggles. The act of leaving symbolizes a quest for freedom and serves as a means to cope with feelings of entrapment.
The images of "invisible islands" suggest a retreat into isolation, which can serve as both a protective mechanism and a source of solitude. This isolation fosters self-reflection but also underscores the hero's struggle with their identity and the fear of being misunderstood by others. The psychological effects of isolation can lead to deeper introspection for action, yet they can also intensify feelings of loneliness and despair. However, in the volume in question, as we have seen above and will see below, the poet rises in spiritual revolt and calls for guidance towards salvation.
We will also observe the phenomenon of departure in the surreal and highly emotional images, such as "the moons leaning" and "the rays of light bending," which suggest a dreamlike mental state. This may accompany a psychological escape from an unwanted reality, where the hero retreats into an imaginative world of dreams to cope with their emotions.
The phenomenon of departure and reflection is also dictated by the conflict between oneself and others, as well as between the hero's identity and their perception by others. This reflects a psychological struggle with self-acceptance and fear of judgment. The lyrical hero seems to confront the idea that their true self may never be fully recognized or valued in the society in which they live, leading to feelings of alienation and becoming a source of anxiety and regret.
References to "anxiety" and "tears" suggest a deeply rooted distress linked to past experiences and regrets. This emotional burden creates a cycle of thoughts in which the speaker feels trapped by their own memories and emotions while simultaneously denouncing a society that compels individuals to transform into a heavy spiritual state. Images like "burning tears" convey the intensity of this emotional pain, highlighting how anxiety can manifest both physically and mentally.
Many poems show a strong desire for expression and freedom: "I want chords, chords because I’m going crazy!" This suggests a psychological need to articulate and externalize inner emotions, using music and art as a means to process and communicate feelings that are hard to express with words alone.
To enhance the psychological impact of the thought, the poet skillfully employs references to the cosmos, such as "the stars burn" and "the infinite blue," which provide a psychological perspective on the insignificance of individual concerns within the vastness of the universe. This can evoke feelings of existential reflection, prompting the hero to contemplate their place in the world and the transient nature of human emotions.
Psychologically, we observe the lyrical hero in numerous poems being overtaken by anxiety and existential insecurity, feeling suppressed and oppressed, constrained by a coherent society struggling to find its footing in history alongside other places, with power, order, tranquility, and law serving as security measures for the individual.
These lead to a deep sense of insecurity and disorientation, and the poet erupts with the protest lines, "I don’t know where I’m going / I don’t know where I’m coming from." This not only reflects existential anxiety but also the search for meaning and stability in a world filled with turmoil and constant change, leading the hero into a struggle with identity and purpose- common themes in existential psychology where individuals confront their existence and seek significance.
In the volume, we will see a deep introspective quality, as the poet turns inward to examine thoughts and feelings. The unexpressed darkness in thoughts implies a confrontation with one’s inner self and perhaps with emotions or fears suppressed by reality.
This reflection indicates cognitive states where the mind ruminates over past experiences and uncertainties about the future, resulting in heightened self-awareness but also increased anxiety.
To delve into the emotional background, the poet also employs important psychological tools such as turbulence and emotional conflicts:
The imagery of "burned eyes" and "throats" reveals an emotional intensity and perhaps psychological pain. This suggests an internal conflict, possibly stemming from unfulfilled desires or unresolved past experiences.
The interaction between light and darkness, like the lighting of a candle, symbolizes the oscillation between hope and despair within the psyche of the lyrical hero.
Accepting the role of a "guest" in the world and deciding to part from love illustrate a shift toward acceptance and detachment. This change is likely to serve as a psychological coping mechanism for managing loss and the unexperienceable.
Such acceptance demonstrates emotional maturity and resilience as the hero reconciles with the transient nature of relationships and existence.
A significant place in the psychological framework is occupied by the symbolism of change and time:
The metaphor of "graying skies" and "staying among my hair" acknowledges aging and the passage of time, introducing a psychological dimension of nostalgia and regret intertwined with self-acceptance.
In another poem, snails serve as a delicate symbol of patience or the gradual and steady facing of these changes, suggesting a psychological need for patience and gradual adaptation.
Overall, the volume captures a rich tapestry of psychological states, from longing and detachment to the search for meaning and expression, a spiritual revolt to fight against and change the current condition. It reflects the complexity of human emotions and the ways individuals navigate and contrast their inner worlds with reality.
The phrase "the whitening of the unturned day" suggests a deep desire for clarity and understanding. This reflects a psychological yearning for peace and resolution amid chaos. The journey through the poet's verses invites you to observe the effort to reconcile the individual's internal conflicts and achieve a sense of wholeness.
In summary, the psychological aspects of the volume reveal a complex intertwining of emotions, including turmoil, anxiety, and a desire for escape. They strongly emphasize the lyrical hero's struggle with identity, isolation, and the search for self-understanding, reflecting universal themes of the human experience and the challenges of navigating their inner world.
By intertwining themes of existential reflection, emotional complexity, and transformation through the hero, who navigates internal landscapes filled with shadows of doubt, the pain of introspection, and the gradual acceptance of life's permanence. A psychological portrayal of a mind in turmoil and resolution emerges through vivid imagery and symbolism, inviting readers to explore their interpretations of existence, identity, and emotional resilience.
By Kujtim Hajdari
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