Social Consciousness in the Lyric Poetry of the Twenty-First Century

Abstract

Literature of any age incorporates within itself the social circumstances, human aspirations, struggles, contradictions, and changing values of that particular era. Lyric poetry is a literary genre in which, alongside individual experiences, collective sensibilities can also be expressed in a highly effective manner. In the lyric poetry of the twenty-first century, traditional themes such as love, nature, and beauty have been accompanied by an expanding engagement with social concerns. Issues such as social inequality, women’s identity, Dalit consciousness, the lives of workers, rural distress, urbanisation, globalisation, environmental crises, terrorism, war, displacement, unemployment, corruption, political ironies, technological transformations, and the erosion of human values have emerged as central concerns of the modern lyric poet. The lyric poetry of the twenty-first century is no longer merely a medium of entertainment or emotional expression; it has also become a literary medium that develops an alert and critical perspective towards social reality. This poetry reflects the complex relationship between the individual and society, the conflict between tradition and modernity, the tension arising between development and humanity, and a critical examination of changing social values. The present research paper examines the diverse dimensions of social consciousness expressed in twenty-first-century lyric poetry and argues that contemporary lyrics are increasingly connected with the aspiration for social transformation, human sensitivity, and the welfare of society.