Abstract

Poetry, a medium through which human channels his/her feelings and attitudes, has long been the magic mirror reflecting a person’s individual ties with culture and society. As the reader is invited to the real or imaginary world of the poet, he/she traverses the realm of poetry and initiates a journey in search of his/her own soul and identity. This symbolic representation of life as a linear process, communicating past and present in the context of cultural and social heritage of one’s homeland, is truly depicted in Muhammad Haji Salleh’s poems. The extended metaphor of a man in his journey seeking the ultimate truth of his essence is the main theme of his poetry. Through the power of initiative imagination and synthesis, Muhammad Haji Salleh’s poetic images give the reader an insight to his nostalgia that roots in his past colonial experience. His double-consciousness between his past and present is of key importance in identifying the individual and cultural background. The persona of his poetry is quite conscious that in order to find his “self” he needs to accept his past. This study attempts to scrutinize Muhammad Haji Salleh’s poetry through logical and analytical examination of his poetic images to determine the cultural influence of in his poetry of spiritual journey from illusion to illumination and self-discovery.