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Review
Imagery of Kalidasa --Dr. (Mrs.) Vinod Aggarwal, Eastern Book, Linkers, Delhi, 1985, Price Rs. 125. page 308+20.
The concept of imagery is a western concept. As the author states -it is the vastu which is स्वनः संभवि कवि प्रौदाक्तिसिध्ध and कविनियध्धवक्त
a faareen is imagery in Western Literature,” (IX). That is the reason why the author explains the term 'imagery' from the Western point of view and applies it to Kalidasa. She gives all weight to the view of C. Day Lewis "Every poetic image is to some degree metaphorical. It looks out from a mirror in which life perceived not so much its face as some truth about its face." (p.3) It can be conceded that Kalidas is a creator of excellent, life-like and yet artistic images, endowed that he is with a poetic genius for which the words of Bhatta Tauta quite aptly apply91 9a-90fcal gfa HT The author quite effectively strikes at this glah of Kalidāsa creating images when she states : "Every image bears evidence of the poet's surelless of Judgement and delicacy of taste the music, the fulness, the aptness, the simplicity, tlie purity and the Sweetness used in Kalidasa's images could not be imitated by other poets," (p. ix). It is thus quite proper and in fitness of things that the author studies in full and minutest details and from all points of view. the images created by the poet. Her classification of the images is schoTarly. The study is divided into eleven chapters thus -
1. Introduction that discusses imagery, its constituents, its fundaments
and types and goes to classfication of images in the great poet.
2 to 9. Detailed study of all possible images systematically and scientif
cally classified
Chapter 10 deals with their critical appreciation work-wise, Chapter 11- conclusions that are divided into 4 parts as (i) statistical survey of variety of Images, (ii) Kalidasa's own idea touchs in these, (iii) Ideological background of the Imageris and (iv) Poets clarity of Imagination and power of Expression. Evidently the real test of the scholarship of the author lies in the first and the last chrpters and we must concede
