The other poem which he loudly recited is a favourite, because his recitation makes it even more rhythmic , jumpy and peppy. It is
Tiger, Tiger Burning bright
In the forest of the night
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry ( this line is a sorry break)
What the anvil, what the chain
In what furnace was thy brain
Da-da –da-da daaa
Da- da- da- daa daaa
And ofcourse then there was O Captain ! My Captain our fearful trip is done…
I have a smile as I remember the parabolic eyebrows when he says with all grave concern and surprise ‘O Captain My Captain ??!!??’
There was another poem-the words totally obliterated, but not the concern it carried about how India was once so prosperous and now it was like a hallow tree, deprived of its riches. And the topping of it was that it was written by a Britisher!
Yet not everything about Bhaiya’s recitation was loud or concerning. I would never have the poem’s appreciations until I had heard these lines from Bhaiya ‘ … And all that is best of day and night meet in the
Hindi poems too had its fervour. Yadi Hota Kinnar Naresh Main – Raaj Mahal mein Rehta, Soney ka Singhasan hota Sarr pe Mukut Chamakta . ( Guess we still don’t know what is a Kinnar). And then from Class One- ‘Amma zara dekh to bahar ………. Deekh raha hai Jal hi Jal’ And how can I forget the highly sanskritised “HImadri tung shringg se prabudhh shudhh bharti, svayam prabha svamujjalla swantantra pukarti. Amartya Veer putra ho – Dridh sakalp soch lo, Prashathh veer panth pe Badhe Chalo Badhe Chalo
His recitations are as a special as he would say in his own ‘Mahendra Kapoor’s’ voice ke ‘PHOOOOLOOOOOOOW ki teraah kitaaab mein SaJAAAAYEEEEe hue rakhnaAAAA’