Our members have always had deep interests and passions that have driven them. One of them, Mr A. N. Saha, reflects on a moment from his youth when his love for poetry left an unexpected impression during a job interview.
Since morning, I’ve been feeling a deep sense of solitude—but not peace. It’s a little unsettling. I’m reminded of a poem I studied for my Intermediate exams (as our Class 12 finals were called back then): “The Solitude of Alexander Selkirk” by William Cowper.
“I am monarch of all I survey;
My right there is none to dispute;
From the centre all round to the sea
I am lord of the fowl and the brute.
O Solitude! where are the charms
That sages have seen in thy face?
Better dwell in the midst of alarms,
Than reign in this horrible place.”
I enjoyed reading English poetry in my youth, even though it wasn’t widely taught in schools or colleges. What little we did study was part of Literature class—and rarely given much weight in exams.
After graduating, I applied for a job in an airline. One of the interviewers was a European gentleman, part of the executive team. He asked about my reading habits, and I told him I liked English poetry. He didn’t quite believe me and challenged me to recite something. I responded with lines from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by S. T. Coleridge—a poem I loved. It’s over 600 lines long. I don’t think he expected me to recite as much as I did.
He was surprised. When he asked how I knew it, I said poetry was a passion, and I read it often in my free time. I must have made an impression—because a few days later, I received a job offer from the airline.
But the posting was in Guwahati, and that turned out to be a dealbreaker. At the time, there was considerable unrest there due to tensions between the local Assamese population and Bengali settlers. I raised my concern, and the European executive assured me I would need to stay only six months—he was due to leave India within that time and promised to ensure a posting in Kolkata before his departure.
Still, I perceived too much risk in relocating to Guwahati and ultimately turned down the offer. Even so, it gave me great confidence to have impressed a panel of senior interviewers at that young age.
(as narrated to Support Elders by our member)
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Poetry Opens Doors
