My impressions from Erkin Vohidov’s epic poem “Rebellion of Souls”

“Rebellion of Spirits” is a work written by Erkin Vahidov, a prominent representative of modern Uzbek literature. It is an epic poem about the Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. The work is composed of several legends and parts, which narrate the lives of characters who lived in different historical periods.

 The poem is dedicated to the heroic and tragic fate of the fiery Bengali poet Nazrul Islam, who lived and worked in the first half of the last century. Nazrul Islam’s bitter fate served as a means for the poet to express the pain in his own heart. The poem “Rebellion of Spirits” is based on the life of this rebellious Bengali poet. The following lines by Nazrul Islam are used as an epigraph to the epic:

You were born free, forever

Be free!

Regarding the creation of this work, the poet himself says:

 “If the task of a writer or poet were simply to narrate the life and adventures of a person, then there would be no easier craft in the world than writing. After all, a creator must artistically analyze the life and fate of their protagonist, and use that opportunity to present their own observations and reflections about life! The fate of my hero, Nazrul Islam, offered rich material in this regard. A difficult period of creative searching began. I had to abandon the initial draft of the epic, and after many attempts, the current version—presented to readers—emerged.”

 Formally, the epic consists of an Introduction, a Tale about Eternity, five chapters, and a Conclusion. Each of the five chapters is divided into different stories and narratives:

In the first chapter: “The Poet’s Heart,” “The Song of Rebellion,” “The Tale of Selflessness”

In the second chapter: “Rebellion,” “The Tale of Ignorance”

In the third chapter: “In Captivity,” “The Tale of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb”

In the fourth chapter: “Shadows,” “A Tale about Higher Spirits”

The fifth chapter includes: “Freedom,” and “The Tale of Ascetics and Mystics”

 When analyzing the parts of the epic in terms of content, the following conclusions can be drawn: In the “Introduction” (Muqaddima), the poet describes human behavior and the turning points in their way of life. He emphasizes that each path has an entrance and an exit. Even life’s hardships can be avoided—but there is one feeling that is impossible to escape.

 In the section “The Poet’s Heart,” the writer emphasizes: “The nature of your talent is rebellion.” The “Tale of Selflessness” highlights the bravery of those who did not accept injustice and violence on earth. It presents, for example, the ancient Indian custom of burning a wife along with her deceased husband. At the end of the tale, the poet calls people to fight for truth and emphasizes that one should not fear death on the path of justice.

 At the beginning of the “Rebellion” part of the second chapter, the poet introduces it with the words: “Calcutta, 1926.” It depicts a conflict between Hindus and Muslims in Calcutta. Nazrul Islam was wrongly accused of inciting religious hatred, even though it was the invaders who had sparked the conflict. Nazrul’s only “fault” was that he openly spoke the truth to the people and tried to prevent the bloodshed. As a result, he was arrested. This part of the work teaches readers many lessons and encourages them to live with gratitude for the present.

 Since the entire poem is dedicated to the memory of Nazrul Islam, the poet does not want to remain a silent observer of the injustices in Nazrul’s homeland. He remembers many others who have also been victims of injustice across the world. He repeatedly emphasizes that it is the ordinary person who suffers the most from the injustice and oppression present in society.

References:

Erkin Vohidov “Rebellion of Souls” – Tashkent. Nodirabegim Publishing House, 2020.

Nizomiddinov A.A. “Interpretation of character and social environment in Erkin Vakhidov’s epic “Rebellion of Souls” – “Central Asian research journal for interdisciplinary studies” 2022.

Norboyeva Sh.J., Ochilova N.U. “Sketches in the Fate of the Poet in the Work ‘Rebellion of Souls'” – “Scientific-Practical Conference of Young Scientists” – pp. 120-122.

Khusniya Sharofiddin qizi Otaboyeva was born in 2004 in a family of intellectuals in the Khonka district of the Khorezm region, Uzbekistan. She is currently a fourth-year student majoring in Primary Education at Urgench State Pedagogical Institute.

She is the author of more than 30 articles and 3 books and has participated in several anthologies and literary almanacs. A recipient of the prestigious Alisher Navoi state scholarship, she has demonstrated academic excellence and a deep commitment to educational and literary pursuits.

Otaboyeva is also the winner of numerous national and international competitions and an official member of various international organizations. She has been honored with multiple international diplomas, certificates, and medals. Her articles have been consistently published in leading journals and newspapers from countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Argentina.

SLANDER AND TRUTH

Suitors kept coming to our house one after another.
Yet my heart did not warm to any of the marriage candidates.
Maybe it wasn’t their fault at all.
To be honest, I didn’t feel ready to run a household, to be someone’s wife.

That evening, more matchmakers came.
They’d already been turned down once — why did they come back? Didn’t they understand?
My poor mother looked at me pleadingly.

— Mother, I’ve already said no! Tell them not to come again!

— My child, — my mother replied calmly, — matchmakers come to a house with a daughter. How can we just slam the door on guests? That’s not our custom, my dear. Your fussiness is wearing me out. Now I swear, whoever next knocks at our gate asking for your hand, I’ll give you away and be done with it. That’s it.

You’re already twenty. Do you still think you’re so young?
Your peers are building happy families. And you? You’re being picky, turning your nose up at everyone.
“Be careful not to keep choosing and end up with something far worse,” she warned.

Seeing how serious my mother was becoming, I felt trapped, torn between my own wishes and hers.

The next morning, my aunt came over. Mother told her everything.
— Don’t worry! — said my aunt, as if she had been waiting for this. — Leave it to me. I’ll see your daughter married. Of course she’ll agree.

Not long after, I was engaged to my aunt’s son. There was really no other way — there were family ties between us. It was decided that we would have the wedding in three years…

After the engagement, I worked tirelessly, day and night, like an ant, trying to win over my parents-in-law.
They treated me like their own daughter.
But my sisters-in-law couldn’t stand it. They’d say openly to my mother, “Well, she is still just your sister’s daughter, after all.”

Little by little, their attitude toward me changed. Sometimes I was bewildered.
No matter how hard I tried to please them, they always found faults, whispered behind my back, tried to turn others against me, and humiliated me quietly.

One day we went out to the fields to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons, and melons. By noon, we had finished planting all the seedlings…

At one point, when my mother-in-law finally had a moment to breathe, she asked:
— Have you seen the scissors? Anora wanted me to sew a small quilt if I had time. I’ve searched everywhere but can’t find them. Did you happen to see them?

It was as if my sister-in-law Khadicha had been waiting exactly for this. She raised her voice so my mother could hear clearly:
— Why bother searching? Your precious bride has them at her house, under her quilt. I’ll fetch them right now. You see how sly your dear daughter-in-law is? Even when she hears this, she just sits there pretending to know nothing. There’s much more to her than you’d believe.

I was stunned.
I didn’t even get the chance to defend myself — as soon as one stopped, the other picked up. I had worked day and night alongside them, never once needing those scissors. I couldn’t imagine how they ended up at my place.

From that day on, even my father-in-law and mother-in-law stopped trusting me.
— Why did I ever take an old maid like you for my daughter-in-law? You’ve brought nothing but trouble. Get out of my sight, — my aunt finally spat one day.

Truth is like air. You breathe it in to live, but you cannot see it.
My husband, too, began straying down the path of betrayal. Still, I swallowed it all. For life’s great sorrows, I found courage; for the small ones, patience.

The fights grew worse day by day. At last, unable to endure it, I returned to my parents’ house and poured everything out to my mother. She scolded me.
— It must be partly your own fault. Go back to your husband’s house.

Three days later, I returned.
But my father-in-law and mother-in-law only mocked me:
— Couldn’t you fit into your mother’s tight womb, yet can’t seem to fit into our big house? Leave the way you came. We don’t want a daughter-in-law like you.

They themselves took me back to my parents’ home.

Three months later, I gave birth. I waited so long, hoping that now, with a child, they’d come and take me back. But no one ever came.

Never throw away your self-worth under someone else’s feet just to win their favor — they won’t see it anyway.

Brides, too, are someone’s daughters, raised with hardship by their parents.
I don’t so much pity myself as I do my mother’s years of sacrifice.

Maybe if I’d agreed to those other suitors my mother suggested, my life would have turned out differently.

Life is like riding a bicycle — you have to keep moving to maintain your balance. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself in situations you never expected.

Life is a journey. And how we travel it is entirely up to us.

My biggest mistake was living with my husband without officially registering our marriage.
Sometimes I blame fate for it. But what fault is it of fate?
It was all because of my own impatience, my failure to look ahead and think wisely.

People are easily charmed by sweet words.
But when your trust shatters into pieces, that’s when you realize the depth of the tragedy. You pour out your tears, but nothing goes back to how it was.

Even before my little girl was born, it seemed her destiny had already been marked — a life without a father.
After she was born, we needed to get her a birth certificate.
But since we didn’t have an official marriage paper, we were forced to register her under my father’s last name.

Sometimes I wonder: if we had at least formalized our marriage, maybe we wouldn’t have divorced so quickly.
I kept trusting him when he said, “We’ll register after the wedding.”
Then it was one excuse after another, until we ended up like this.

Now my daughter is growing up never knowing a father’s love.
At night, thoughts of her future steal my sleep.
Even when I took him to court, I couldn’t get her his surname. He denied his paternity.

How wretched is powerlessness — I couldn’t even defend my rights.
My daughter is older now. She keeps asking me, “Why did you and Dad separate? Why do I have Grandpa’s last name? What’s the reason?”
But I have no answer, no words that could soothe her.
For some reason, I can’t even look her in the eye.

I’ve learned — though too late — that when young people start building a family, they must pause and truly think it through. Because regretting later is pointless.
And oh, how deeply I’ve regretted it…

At times like this, my teacher’s words echo in my mind:
“First, don’t make a mistake when choosing your profession — it should give you both honor and bread.
Second, don’t make a mistake when choosing your life partner. Let him be your shoulder to lean on.
Bind your fate to someone who will never become a burden you’ll regret.”

I understood all this only too late.
Now, what would regret change? Nothing.
I must keep moving forward, find the strength within myself so that my daughter can be happy.

So to all the future brides out there, to the young girls who can’t yet see beyond today —
“Dear girls, don’t rush. Before you marry, think deeply.
Because happiness is in your own hands. It’s like a delicate bird trembling in your palm — if you’re careless, it will fly away.”

Tulips — The Symbol of Grace

The garden of my childhood was always filled with the scent of flowers. Every spring, blossoms would bloom in our yard, but there was one flower that captivated me more than any other — the tulip.

My grandfather always tended to the flowers with deep affection and taught us to love and care for them. On early spring mornings, he would take a small spade and gently work the soil while I followed him closely, never leaving his side. That’s when I would see the yellow tulips beginning to bloom — as if they carried the joy of spring itself. For me, they were not just ordinary flowers; they were the embodiment of beauty and elegance, the purest reflection of grace.

Many people have asked me: “Why tulips? Aren’t there countless other beautiful flowers in the world?” I simply smile and reply, “Because tulips are love. They are not just flowers — they awaken feelings deep within the heart.”

When I look at a tulip, something inside me stirs. It’s as if the flower is whispering a secret, trying to awaken the most delicate emotions within me. Every petal is a melody; every color, a feeling. Though the tulip bows toward the earth, it spiritually reaches for the sky.

The tulip is life itself. For the eye that sees beauty and the heart that feels elegance, there is no sight more enchanting.

Dilobar Maxmarejabova Elbek qizi is a second-year student at the
University of Journalism and Mass Communications, majoring in
Philology and English Language Teaching.

Basic Verb Tenses in English and Their Uzbek Equivalents              

Olimboyeva Dilaferuz Azamat qizi                 

Uzbekistan State World Languages University                   

alijonolimbayev99@gmail.com

Abstract

This article presents a comparative linguistic analysis of basic verb tenses in English and their functional equivalents in the Uzbek language. English, as an analytical language, relies heavily on auxiliary verbs and syntactic structure to indicate tense, while Uzbek, an agglutinative language, primarily uses suffixes and postpositions to convey temporal relations. The study focuses on four fundamental tenses in English—Present Simple, Past Simple, Future Simple, and Present Continuous—and examines how these are rendered in Uzbek in terms of morphology, semantics, and syntax.

Drawing from both theoretical and practical sources, the paper provides illustrative examples and pedagogical insights to aid language learners, translators, and linguists in mastering cross-linguistic tense equivalence. The analysis emphasizes the contextual flexibility of Uzbek tense usage, contrasts it with the structural rigidity of English tense systems, and highlights translation challenges that arise in bilingual contexts.

Keywords

Verb tense, present simple, past simple, future simple, present continuous, auxiliary verbs, agglutinative morphology, English-Uzbek translation, comparative grammar, language typology

Tense, as a grammatical category, is a fundamental aspect of verbal systems in most natural languages. It allows speakers to locate events in time and to distinguish between actions occurring in the past, present, or future. English verb tenses are traditionally divided into 12 forms, including simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous tenses. Uzbek, on the other hand, organizes tense through suffixation, and tends to express time relationally rather than structurally.

In the Uzbek language, tense is generally encoded through the verb morphology itself, without the need for auxiliary verbs. The system is simpler in appearance but allows a rich variety of aspectual meanings. This article focuses on four core tenses that are most frequently encountered in beginner and intermediate language instruction: Present Simple, Past Simple, Future Simple, and Present Continuous. Understanding their use and equivalents is crucial for effective communication, translation accuracy, and grammar instruction.

In particular, the paper aims to: Analyze the structure and function of each English tense. Explore the morphological markers in Uzbek that carry similar meanings. Provide comparative examples and highlight cross-linguistic differences. Identify challenges in translation and language learning contexts. In English, the Present Simple Tense is generally used for habitual actions, repeated occurrences, facts, and general truths. Its basic form uses the root verb for most persons and adds an -s or -es ending for the third person singular: I walk to school. She walks to school.

The Uzbek equivalent of this tense is typically formed using the suffix -(a)di, which marks both present habitual and simple future meanings depending on context: Men har kuni maktabga boraman. → I go to school every day. U har kuni ertalab yuguradi. → She runs every morning. One challenge for Uzbek learners of English is the use of the third person singular -s ending in English, which does not have a direct morphological parallel in Uzbek. In Uzbek, the subject-verb agreement is expressed through personal suffixes, not through separate verb conjugations based on person as in English.

Furthermore, English also uses do-support in negative and interrogative forms, which has no direct equivalent in Uzbek: Do you like tea? → Senga choy yoqadimi? He doesn’t understand. → U tushunmaydi. Here, Uzbek expresses negation directly within the verb using -ma/-may suffixes, not through auxiliary verbs like “do/does.”Thus, while the Present Simple tense appears straightforward in English, its accurate mapping into Uzbek requires attention to aspect, personal endings, and the syntactic role of auxiliaries in English.

The Past Simple Tense in English denotes actions completed in the past at a definite time. Its structure involves the use of the past form of the verb, which in regular cases is formed by adding -ed, and in irregular cases varies widely (e.g., go → went, take → took): They watched a movie last night. She went to the market yesterday. In Uzbek, the past is expressed using the suffix -di or its phonological variants -ti, -di, -dilar (for politeness or plural subjects): Ular kecha kino ko‘rdilar. → They watched a movie yesterday. U bozorda meva oldi. → She bought fruits at the market.

Moreover, questions in the past are formed using -mi particles, unlike English which uses the auxiliary did: Did he see the letter? → U xatni ko‘rdimi? Uzbek verbs also tend to imply aspects of the action more fluidly. The context often determines whether the action is viewed as completed, ongoing, or habitual, without needing a separate grammatical category for each. This makes the Uzbek past tense morphologically simpler but semantically richer, requiring learners to rely more on context than form.

The Future Simple Tense in English refers to actions that will occur after the present moment and is typically formed with the auxiliary “will” followed by the base verb: I will help you tomorrow. They will arrive soon. In Uzbek, the equivalent tense is often expressed with the same suffix -(a)di, or with more explicit constructions such as -moqchi bo‘lmoq to denote intention or planned future: Men ertaga yordam beraman. → I will help tomorrow. Ular yaqin orada yetib kelishadi. → They will arrive soon. Men sizga telefon qilmoqchiman. → I intend to call you.

One interesting difference is that the same Uzbek suffix -(a)di is used for both habitual present and near-future actions, and only context determines the meaning. This polyfunctionality requires learners to pay close attention to time adverbials like ertaga (tomorrow), tez orada (soon), etc. In more formal or intentional future constructions, Uzbek uses the -moqchi bo‘lmoq structure:U imtihon topshirmoqchi. → He intends to take the exam. Unlike English, which uniformly uses “will” or sometimes “shall,” Uzbek has a range of optional markers, making its future tense more nuanced in intent and modality.

The Present Continuous Tense in English expresses actions that are currently in progress. Its structure includes the verb “to be” in present tense and the main verb in -ing form: She is reading a book. We are watching a movie. The Uzbek equivalent is formed with the suffix -yapti, attached directly to the verb root:U kitob o‘qiyapti. → She is reading a book. Biz film ko‘ryapmiz. → We are watching a movie.In both languages, this tense conveys immediacy and duration. However, unlike English, which needs an auxiliary and a participle, Uzbek uses a single analytic suffix.

Negative forms in English:I am not eating. Uzbek: Men ovqat yemayapman. Another notable feature in Uzbek is the use of present continuous for polite or soft assertions: Siz nimani kutyapsiz? → What are you waiting for?

For Uzbek learners of English, mastering the auxiliary verb “to be” (am/is/are) and using the –ing form correctly presents one of the most common grammatical hurdles. The comparative study of English and Uzbek verb tenses reveals fundamental structural, morphological, and semantic differences between the two languages. English relies on auxiliary verbs, inflectional patterns, and strict syntactic rules, while Uzbek uses agglutinative suffixation, contextual flexibility, and syntactic economy.

While certain tenses such as Present Continuous align well between the two systems, others like Future Simple or Present Simple demonstrate functional overlap but grammatical divergence. For translation studies and second language acquisition, these findings stress the importance of contextual interpretation, especially for Uzbek speakers learning English. Understanding these cross-linguistic patterns can aid educators in constructing more effective grammar curricula, and support translators in producing more accurate target texts.

References

1. Crystal, D. (2003). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge University Press.

2. Eastwood, J. (1994). Oxford Guide to English Grammar. Oxford University Press.

3. Bozorov, O. (2005). Ingliz tili grammatikasi. Toshkent: O‘qituvchi nashriyoti.

4. Karimov, A. (2010). Hozirgi o‘zbek adabiy tili. Toshkent: O‘zR FA nashriyoti.

5. Hudoyberganova, D. (2017). Qiyosiy tipologiya: Ingliz va o‘zbek tillarining qiyosiy tahlili. Toshkent: TDPU.

6. Comrie, B. (1985). Tense. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

7. Richards, J. C., & Schmidt, R. (2010). Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. Longman.

JERNAIL S. ANAND: THE MASTER OF MYTH CREATION

“Craza, a bold evolution from Lustus”

Dr Maja Herman Sekulic

Dr. Jernail Singh Anand is a towering literary figure whose work [an opus of 180 books] embodies a rare fusion of creativity, intellect, and moral vision. Anand won the Seneca Award [Italy], Charter of Morava [Serbia], Franz Kafka [Germany, Ukraine and Chek Rep.] and Maxim Gorky [Russia]. His name adorns the Poets’ Rock in Serbia and stands tall as the greatest philosopher among poets, and the greatest poet among philosophers.  Dr. Anand’s grandiose work ‘Epicasia’ [June 2025], includes twelve epic narratives, which was dedicated to “the Land of Serbia and its brilliant daughter Dr Maja Herman Sekulic” [the author].  

The creation of neo-mythological characters like Lustus and now Craza in The Alternate Universe establishes Dr. Anand  as a master of myth creation, blending traditional epic forms with modern existential, philosophical, and socio-political concerns, and resonates with both Eastern and Western literary traditions.  Traditional mythology served to explain natural phenomena through divine or heroic figures. But Anand’s Neo-mythology brings up new archetypes to address contemporary concerns such as moral erosion, the rise of artificial intelligence and corporate evil.

According to Grok, Dr. Anand’s The Alternate Universe is an audacious and thought-provoking epic that masterfully intertwines science fiction, technology, and spirituality to explore the existential crises facing humanity in an AI-driven era. As his 13th epic, this work showcases Anand’s ability to weave a complex narrative that challenges conventional boundaries between the divine, the human, and the technological. The epic is both a speculative vision of a re-engineered humanity and a philosophical critique of mankind’s moral and spiritual decay, making it a significant contribution to contemporary literature. It is intriguing to enter into Anand’s mind through his epics. The entire space is occupied by ethereal personages like God, Brahma, Indra, Vishnu, Lord Krishna, Satan, Mephistopheles, Faustus etc. And, the atmosphere is marked by high seriousness, and a sense of the sublime.

Dr. Anand was reluctant to cast Satan as the villain in ‘Lustus: the Prince of Darkness’ the first book of his Mahakaal Trilogy,  as Satan was a gentleman villain, who was afraid of God’s power. He tempted Eve by deception. Anand, on the other hand,  needed a thorough-bred villain of modern world, who could sustain interest for generations. Therefore, in Lustus,  Anand created a villain before whom even Satan appears a monk. Anand also creates Greda, the goddess of Greed. The grandeur of Lustus lies in two fierce battles he fought and lost against gods in the first two books of the Trilogy, Lustus and the Dominion of the Netherworld.  Dr. Anand’s quest for the sublime continues through The Ultronic Age, where political power is handed over to Queen Ultronia,   because  Gods had realized that it was due to the patriarchal superiority of men that the previous epochs saw bloody battles and manslaughter as we come across in the Ramayana in Treta, the Mahabharata in Dwapra and the War of Troy in Kaliyuga.

In The Alternate Universe, Craza proposes an AI-driven Alternate Universe where humans are digitally enhanced.  Craza’s concepts of removing the past of man, womb labs, and keeping humanity morally upright with AI intervention, and the provision for ‘Edit’ etc.  are daringly forward looking, investing technology with a spiritual responsibility and making Craza a Neo-Prophet of the Digital Age.

Dr. Anand’s latest work grapples with the intersection of technology, spirituality, and human existence. Craza, represents a bold evolution from Lustus, who was an embodiment of corporate  evil. “Anand’s work reflects a profound engagement with the ethical and spiritual challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI) and modernity, making him a modern counterpart to epic poets like Milton or Vyasa, but with a distinctly futuristic lens.” [Grok]

Craza’s proposal for an “Overlap” facility, replacing the traditional divisions of heaven and hell, can be seen as a nuanced view of morality where ambiguity is acknowledged rather than punished because this world of overlapping morality is closer to the reality of the modern world of technology. Through Lustus, he critiques the corporate and moral decay of the modern world, while Craza in The Alternate Universe  extends this exploration into speculative or chaotic realms. By merging Eastern and Western traditions, Anand creates a universal narrative offers an ethical and spiritual landscape for a contrivance like AI to seek man’s salvation, rather than work for his destruction. Craza’s entry as a potential mouthpiece of the AI is a welcome departure from usual condemnation of the AI. His work not only revives the epic form but also establishes him as a global literary figure, walking in the footsteps of Milton, Goethe and Tagore.  

AUTHOR’S BIO 

Maja Herman-Sekulić  (Serbia/USA) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maja_Herman_Sekulić)

is an internationally published Serbian-American author of 30 books in Serbian, English German and French; her poems were translated in 27 languages. Of her poetry, Nobel laureate Joseph Brodsky said: “her poetry is of the rarest talent and beauty as she is herself”. Maja is an acclaimed and multi awarded poet, novelist, essayist, a bilingual scholar, a Princeton Ph.D.and a major translator. She is a vice president of International Ethics Academy from India,and has been nominated by the IAE for the Nobel Prize in Literature. She is a member of the American and Serbian PEN, American Academy of Poets, Association of writers of Serbia and Serbian Literary Society. She was schooled and lived all over the world from Europe and USA to the Far East, and as a triple ambassador of good will, culture and literature has been building bridges between cultures for over 30 yrs. She now shares her time between New York and Belgrade. 

A Priest Asks

He’s waiting in the

American Airlines line 

At the airport in Asheville

And a priest approaches him

And asks him

If the he can cut

To the front of the line

The priest says that

He’s about to

Miss his flight

Before he can respond

Another woman in line

Says yes Father

Please go ahead

And this seems fine.

Taylor Dibbert is a poet in Washington, DC. He’s author of, most recently, “Takoma.”

Εύα Πετρόπουλου Λιανου

“Becoming a Butterfly, Becoming a Soul: An Existential Reading of Eva Petropoulou Lianou’s Poem”

By Rizal Tanjung

Eva Petropoulou Lianou’s poem “Nothing Belongs to Us” is a lyrical utterance that holds within it layers of existential reflection, critique of anthropocentrism, and a meditation on the spirituality of the body. In the increasingly cacophonous landscape of contemporary poetry—often overwhelmed by the aesthetics of form—this piece appears typographically simple yet philosophically sharp. This essay attempts to read the poem as a poetic contemplation of freedom, the infinitude of the human condition, and a critique of the illusion of possession. Through the lenses of existentialism (Sartre, Kierkegaard) and the cosmic mysticism of Taoist thought, it seeks to delve into the poem’s pulse in order to unearth what it means to be human.

Across both Eastern and Western traditions of poetry, the question of the human self has never reached its final answer. From Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself to Laozi’s Tao Te Ching, human beings have long pondered their identity in a world relentlessly obsessed with possession, power, and selfhood. Eva Petropoulou Lianou’s poem comes as a whisper amid the clamor. With its formal simplicity yet profound meaning, it dares to challenge structures of society, belief, and even the logic of human ownership.

This poem invites a new reading of existence—fluid, self-sovereign, and spiritually free. It becomes a literary vehicle that resists the illusion of domination over oneself and nature. The central question guiding this essay is: How does the poem dismantle the myth of ownership and replace it with existential freedom and devotion to the soul?

Textual Reading: Structure and Symbolism

The poem is built from short lines, unconstrained by conventional rhyme or rhythm, yet it forms an internal cadence that is deeply reflective. Its narrative voice is declarative and intimate—as if the reader is being invited into a mirror held up by their own inner voice.

Key recurring symbols include:

“Butterfly,” “bee,” “ants,” “wolf”: Non-human beings that symbolize existence without domination.

“Laugh to your heart,” “touch the stars”: Invitations toward a spirituality born in simplicity.

“Stomach,” “instinct,” “inner soul”: The body as a center of wisdom—subverting the Western body-soul dichotomy.

The poem’s free structure becomes a metaphor for the freedom it articulates. Eva’s form reflects her message: the poem is free because it voices freedom.

Philosophical Approach: Existentialism and the Cosmology of the Body

Existentialism: Choice, Freedom, and the Absurd

Jean-Paul Sartre famously argued that human beings are “condemned to be free.” In this poem, freedom is not merely a moral choice, but a way of being—rooted in the body and instinct:

“We are choosing according to our feelings / Our thoughts / Our beliefs / Our stomach”

These lines are existential declarations: human sovereignty is not determined by external systems, but by the voice within. There is no divine hand dictating one’s fate. We belong to no one. We are the authors of our own will.

In the Kierkegaardian sense, the rejection of blind faith in systems, others, or societal order echoes through the poem:

“Show respect / Kindness / But no trust / Trust your instinct / Trust your heart”

Here, the poem becomes a manifestation of the leap of faith—not toward a god, but toward the sacred silence of the inner self.

Taoist Cosmology and the Mysticism of the Body

In Taoist tradition, human beings are not rulers of nature but parts of its flow. Eva echoes this cosmic humility in lines such as:

“We are nothing more than a fly / …than a bird”

The human body is not superior to other beings—thus, it becomes sacred in its humility. The poem rejects human exceptionalism. We are not creators, not owners. We are mere participants in the grand dance of nature, and our role is to attune, not to control.

Aesthetics of Being: The Child, the Soul, and the Stars

The poem closes with a shift into mysticism:

“Stay a happy child”

The child here becomes a symbol of ultimate spirituality: free from burden, honest in desire, filled with laughter. This is not psychological regression, but existential purity. In the symbol of the child, the poem stores a vital teaching: happiness is not a result of achievement, but a return to the most honest truth of the soul—play and dream.

Poetry as the Way Back

“Nothing Belongs to Us” is both poem and philosophy, both language and silence. It teaches that to be human is not to possess, not to know, not to rule—but to become the butterfly: fleeting, light, and meaningful through mere presence.

By weaving existentialism, the cosmology of the body, and natural symbolism, Eva Petropoulou Lianou has crafted not just a poem, but a spiritual map for those who seek meaning in a world weary of ownership. In a world overwhelmed with noise, this poem becomes the path home to a silence filled with light.

West Sumatra, 2025

References

Kierkegaard, Søren. Fear and Trembling, 1843.

Sartre, Jean-Paul. Being and Nothingness, Gallimard, 1943.

Laozi. Tao Te Ching, trans. D.C. Lau, Penguin Classics, 1963.

Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass, 1855.

Petropoulou Lianou, Eva. “Nothing Belongs to Us”, 2024.

Nothing belongs to us

Nothing belongs to us

We are free

We are the captain of our soul..

Nobody can say this or that  and you must execute.

Nobody belongs to us

We are choosing according our feelings

Our thoughts

Our beliefs

Our stomach

The most a person make you laugh

The more u want to be with

We are nobody

We are nothing

More than the butterfly

Than the bee…

We are no creators but small ants

Or seagulls

Or wolf

Show respect

Kindness

But no trust

Trust your instinct

Trust your heart

We are nothing more than a fly

We are nothing more than a bird

Laugh to your heart

Love your inner soul

And put your frequency high

Touch the stars

Make a wish

Stay a happy child

Greek poet Eva Petropoulou Lianou