Morn Show Appearance by Delwar Hossain is a poem that mocks the process of daily routine by infusing robotic and theatrical qualities to it. Through grammar and word choice, the situation is portrayed as absurd with the indication that it can lead to royal stature. To Hossain, this daily routine is too structured and impersonal to take a “human” to life’s highest level, but the process “is the job of a human being.” Essentially, we must be a part of the play, in spite of its robotic and script-like nature. You can read the full poem Morn Show Appearance here.
Morn Show Appearance Analysis
Lines 1-5
Despite the title of the poem indicating that a “Show” is “Appear[ing]” in the “Morn,” its earliest lines make it clear that what is “appear[ing]” is “morning” itself. This is notable in the concepts of “[b]eds” and “dreams,” as well as the detail that “people set their feet” when “morning” comes. By treating the “morn” like a television “show,” however, Hossain has indicated that the “morning” arriving and “people” stepping into their daily routines is a theatrical idea, as if the whole thing is bizarre and orchestrated.
The idea that “[b]eds get silent [a]s soon as morn shows appearance” indicates “people” leave the comfort of their sleeping arrangements—leaving them “[v]acant”—to “search [for] good lot” as soon as “morning” surfaces. Continuing with the theatrical factor, “[b]eds get silent” mimics an audience going quiet when a movie or play is about to begin. Furthermore, entering the new day is treated as a secondary act in a play since it happens after “[d]reams and bad dreams” and sparks “people set[ting] their feet [i]n search of good lot.” Just as the crowd hushes when the curtain rises for a new scene, the “morn” introduces a new scene in life’s play.
An interesting detail about this section is that certain elements are presented as things that are out of the control of “people.” “Dreams and bad dreams,” for instance, “toss always,” which hints that these elements happen without the possibility of being stopped. This concept is doubled in strength since “always” appears, and “toss” is a verb that has a connotation of a lack of control and poise. The “people,” basically, can never have control over these elements, other than “perhaps” the initial decisions when starting them, like a “toss.” They “dream” at night, so only the decision to fall asleep in regard to “dreams” rests in “people[‘s]” hands. On the flipside, “people” “search of good lot,” and this concept presents a hefty amount of control. It is a “search,” after all, which means they are actively looking for that “good lot.”
Lines 6-11
The structure of Morn Show Appearance is quite confused in that sentences and ideas tend to run together in a way that forces the mind to discern a meaning, and this series of lines might the most pressing example of this. For instance, consider the following lines: “Man is hugged with tight embrace with flower [l]agging behind is caused sometimes [t]hanks to severe hunger pangs.” As this statement grammatically stands, it makes limited sense, so the mind must infer where pauses and stops need to happen to provide clarity. It cannot be that the line endings reveal all needed pauses, after all, since “drops not down” does not make very much sense on its own, despite being its own line.
It is important to note that this lack of punctuation makes the interpretation of the poem more open since missing punctuation can hinder the meaning of a sentence. As it stands, “with flower” could be what the person is “embrace[d]” by, or it could be a detail of what a person has when “[l]agging behind.” Because of this element, there are plenty of interpretations that could be grasped, and this adds to the level of uncertainty represented regarding a “human” as they enter the “morning.” Just as a random person cannot know the definite meaning without punctuation, a person entering into a new day cannot know what awaits them.
As well, this speaks to the chaos of life since one idea runs into the other without a mention of a pause. This is at odds with the idea of the curtain-call that was referenced earlier because there is no moment for things to go “silent.” Rather, one idea plows into the other without repose. This is very akin to life, where one moment becomes a new one with no pause button. Furthermore, the idea that only certain statements suffer from no punctuation reflects the earlier-mentioned variation of control levels. There are moments of clarity and control, like after “good lot” with its ending period, but many moments are unclear and uncertain without proper markings. This is like life once more since certain things are understandable and controllable, but many other elements are not.
What the “Man is hugged” line indicates on a deeper level is that there are good and bad elements that arrive each day for a “human.” Specifically, they are “hugged with tight embrace,” which can be a good, comforting thing to offer support and encouragement.
On the other hand, “[m]an” also “[l]ag[s] behind,” which is a negative thing. Additionally, “the savor of flower [potentially] drops not down [d]ue to having sound of human feet.” These elements indicate that “people” experience negative possibilities, but Hossain is attributing them to the “people” themselves. This is clear in that “the savor of flower,” which is a good thing, is hindered by “human feet,” and that the “[l]agging” is caused by “severe hunger pangs.” Essentially, “people” pursue “dreams” out of “hunger” for betterment, but this kind of determination can lead to missing the good moments of life—like “the savor of flower”—or coming up short because the “human” striving too fiercely experiences burnout or unattainable goals.
Lines 12-13
Regardless of the negative concepts of pushing forward too strongly, “[g]oing ahead is the job of human being.” It does not matter, with this in mind, that things can be lost or affected because of the striving. It must be done anyway. Of note, as well, is the missing article before “human being.” A more fluid way to give this information would be “a human being,” but the “a” has been omitted. This makes the story feel robotic, once more like the “human being” is going through a process like theater. Everything is scripted and understood, and a serious amount of personality is taken from the exchange because of this word omission. Just as “people” can “[g]o” through the motions every day, the journey is represented in a lesser “human” way by removing “a.”
The theatrical concept surfaces as well within the final line of Morn Show Appearance, and in a much more lyrical way. Rather than saying something simple, like “Without trying,” Hossain has chosen instead to address the notion of not fully trying for goals as “[s]ans dense effort.” This playing-a-role aspect mingles well with the robotic element of the missing “a” to make the scenario feel mandated and surreal. Only in enduring these kinds of things can a “human being” “be a bonafide king.” The irony is that the situation does not feel royal at all since the “human” feels more like a puppet than someone regal. This phrasing, then, makes the theme of the poem seem very satirical, as if Hossain is making fun of the process. The “human being” must move “ahead,” but the delivery has felt so robotic and puppet-like thus far that there is no way that someone in such a state could become “a bonafide king.”
In the end, Hossain could be mocking the rigid nature of chasing daily “dreams” and habits by pointing out that no matter how hard we strive, we could never attain a “king” stature by doing so. Through his confusing punctuation and interesting word pairings, a lack of “human[ity]” supports this idea. A person must be a player in the “Morn Show Appearance,” but it is a road that ironically does not take everyone very far.
About Delwar Hossain
A poet from Bangladesh, Delwar Hossain is the oldest of seven children and currently has multiple written works for viewing that include journal articles and poetry. He earned his master’s degree and writes in English and Bengali.
