Psychological Anxiety and Collective Behavior in the Poetry of Meera Ji and N. M. Rasheed

Abstract

This study examines psychological anxiety and collective attitudes in the poetry of Meeraji and N. M. Rashid, with particular focus on the individual’s inner conflicts, loneliness, frustration, and resistance to social and political constraints. Both poets give central importance to the individual and express the psychological and emotional tensions produced by the conditions of their contemporary society. Meeraji’s poetry reflects an intense awareness of existential loneliness, the transience of human life, the meaninglessness of the present moment, and the restrictions imposed by social conventions and modern civilization. His poetic expression reveals anger and frustration arising from the individual’s inability to achieve complete freedom and fulfillment. N. M. Rashid, on the other hand, combines psychological conflict with social, political, and anti-colonial consciousness. His poetry portrays the helplessness of the individual under colonial domination, the decline of Eastern society, economic exploitation, political oppression, and the crisis of traditional values. The study also highlights how both poets transform personal anxiety and individual frustration into broader reflections on collective life. While Meeraji primarily explores the psychological and existential dimensions of the individual, Rashid extends this experience towards social and political resistance. Thus, their poetry represents not only individual psychological distress but also the collective anxieties and tensions of their age.