The Common Man

The poem entitled 'The Common Man' is composed by Eda Upadhyaya. It is a satire on the misuse of power. It describes the condition of the common man in the society and condemns the way they are being treated by the authority.

According to the poet, a common man indicates the common people of the society. They are the majority who are ignorant. They are honest and selfless. They are people with moderate ambition in their life. They are straightforward and abided by the norms and values of society. These people have neither power nor pelf in society. They are no more politicians or leaders who possess power. The powerful authority usually take advantage of their honesty and straightforwardness. They are often deceived and maltreated. They are deprived of their basic rights. People having power can speak in the society. They dominate in many cases. They can make plans for the future and get opportunities for decent jobs to earn their living. The common people's voice is not heard. They are suffering from many problems. In fact, their life is amidst sorrows, pains, sufferings, and hardships. They have also dreams in their life, dreams of decent living, schooling, health care, and prosperity. But, they can't express it. Their dreams are never fulfilled. They are compelled to live among scarcities, scarcity of all sorts of facilities needed for progressive life. The facilities for a decent life are beyond their reach.

The poet says that there is no freedom for them. They are compelled to be silent. They are the speechless agent in society. The authority is so cruel that it doesn't allow them to utter even a single word. Thus, it will be foolish to raise voices against existing power. The world has become so impure and disgusting. There is no sense of humanity.