A Hot Noon in Malabar by Kamala Das Summary

This is a noon for beggars with whining
Voices, a noon for men who come from hills
With parrots in a cage and fortune-cards,
All stained with time, for brown Kurava girls
With old eyes, who read palm in light singsong
Voices, for bangle-sellers who spread
On the cool black floor those red and green and blue
Bangles, all covered with the dust of roads,
Miles, grow cracks on the heels, so that when they
Clambered up our porch, the noise was grating,
Strange … This is a noon for strangers who part
The window-drapes and peer in, their hot eyes
Brimming with the sun, not seeing a thing in
Shadowy rooms and turn away and look
So yearningly at the brick-ledged well.  This
Is a noon for strangers with mistrust in
Their eyes, dark, silent ones who rarely speak
At all, so that when they speak, their voices
Run wild, like jungle-voices. Yes, this is
A noon for wild men, wild thoughts, wild love. To
Be here, far away, is torture.  Wild feet
Stirring up the dust, this hot noon, at my
Home in Malabar, and I so far away …

“A Hot Noon in Malabar” by Kamala Das is a poignant poem that captures the essence of a hot noon in the region of Malabar. The poem is a vivid portrayal of the sights, sounds, and emotions associated with this particular time of day.

The poet begins by describing the noon as a time for beggars with whining voices, men from the hills with parrots in cages and fortune-cards, and brown Kurava girls with old eyes who read palms in light singsong voices. The scene is set with bangle-sellers spreading their colorful wares on the cool black floor, covered with the dust of the roads they have traveled.

The poet paints a picture of the physical toll on the bangle-sellers, with miles causing cracks on their heels. The noise of their ascent onto porches is described as grating and strange.

As the poem progresses, the focus shifts to strangers during this hot noon. They part window-drapes, peer in with hot eyes brimming with the sun, unable to see anything in the shadowy rooms. These strangers, characterized by mistrust in their eyes, rarely speak, but when they do, their voices run wild, resembling jungle sounds.

The poet reflects on this noon being a time for wild men, wild thoughts, and wild love. The repetition of the idea of wildness emphasizes the intensity of emotions associated with this particular moment. The poet expresses the torture of being far away from her home in Malabar during this vibrant and lively time.

In the concluding lines, the poet speaks of wild feet stirring up dust in the hot noon at her home in Malabar, highlighting the contrast between the lively, familiar surroundings of Malabar and the poet’s current state of being far away.

Overall, “A Hot Noon in Malabar” is a richly detailed poem that not only vividly describes the physical aspects of a hot noon in Malabar but also delves into the emotions of the poet, portraying a sense of longing, nostalgia, and alienation.