Eternal Waters, Mortal Towns: The Paradox of Immortality in Mamang Dai's Poem Small Towns and the River

Abstract

This research paper explores the thematic dichotomy between human transience and natural permanence in Mamang Dai's poem, Small Towns and the River. As a prominent voice from Arunachal Pradesh, Dai utilises the landscape of the Northeast, specifically the town of Pasighat and the Siang River, to meditate on the inevitability of death and the endurance of nature. The study examines how the "small town" serves as a site of stagnation and human anxiety. The river is personified as a living, immortal soul that carries the wisdom of ancient civilisations. Drawing upon the indigenous beliefs of the Adi community, the paper further investigates the poet's pantheistic worldview, where life and death are viewed not as a direct progression but as a cyclic return. By analysing the metaphors of water, sunlight, and ritual, this paper argues that Dai finds a resolution to the dread of mortality through a spiritual communion with the environment. Ultimately, the work concludes that in Dai's poetic universe, living in harmony with nature is synonymous with walking with the divine.