A Book Review by P.K.N.Panicker.
Hema is undoubtedly well accomplished – her works are liked and appreciated by everyone; she has been published by Indian Literature - a very prestigious publication of the Sahithya Academy. Her translation of ‘ Krishna Gana’ of Othukkadu Venkatasubba Iyer appeared in the May –June 2008 issue – and she could maintain the emotive content of the original in total.
The prestigious Writers Workshop of Prof. Lal from Kalkotta has come with her ‘LIFE BLUES’, a collection of 54 poems that deal with as the publishers put, on various emotions felt by the poet ranging from elation to sadness. The first part of the book carrying 31 poems are mainly
centred around love while the second part placed under the caption ‘ My Fair Maid’ are on an unseen, silent companion of the poet in her fantasies – an alter ego.
Hema has a characteristic, distinct way of looking at things – a little different from others. Look at these lines
Do you know …….
…………………..
Don’t be thirsty, memories will spring
From peaks;
Golden Moments p.69
I am sure none of us ever thought of rain the way Hema does.
Throughout ‘Life Blue’ we can see her nostalgic past popping out – every where – memories springing out from all corners and at all times.
Nostalgia whiffs across
With a whip and roast – yea
Can I ever set eyes on you
My adolescent fancy-partner? …
………………….
Won’t the revolving earth bring to me
Few of the many joys of the past
Long gone and gone into the deep forever
Faces I yearn to see just a moment
Only a split second just to sense
That the buds of youth and vigour
Are still afresh inside
Nostalgia p.9 & 10
Creeping in with ‘buttered toast’, and ‘blossom friends’ she lands with her ‘adolescent fancy-partner’. This one expression would suffice to get her bracketed along with world poets of re-known. Beautifully crafted expressions, condensing or compressing meanings into delicate combination of words – well crafted word to word bonding to bring out more from every word is what poetry is all about – and Hema seems to have mastered the craft.
Look at other similar captivating expressions such as ‘First passion of pubescence’ (p.33) and ‘One smile composed thousand hints’ (p35).
She wants to be reassured, ‘that the buds of youth and vigour are still afresh inside’. After reading her poems we would have no hesitation to extend her that reassurance.
Hema is very focussed and sharp about what she wants to convey and that makes her extremely powerful.
‘Didn’t you say blue?
…………………….
She will lie in wait’
Life Blues p.11
‘A book and pen once threw She
Soaked with her Tears and Poverty’.
Altered Paths p.20
She is up in arms against all types of oppression and exploitation.
‘Hear not the……………
Rebounds with multiplied fury’
Refractions p.27
Look at the vibrant strength in those words – words that reverberate. However, just as many masters have done, she instead of inviting you to take arms prefers to place her faith in the unknown.
‘When will providence undo their shackles?
Afflictions p.32
She has a very delicate, subtle knack to handle personal emotions, particularly born out of man-woman relationship – may I say sometimes even bordering sensual.
I invite you to ‘Melodies’ p.13.
‘They sang intent, each unto other
…………………………………….
The symphony attained zenith’
Look at ‘Delusions’ (p.16). How well, just as in our acclaimed mythological literature, she pictures the stages and symptoms of blossoming love
‘I search for the face
…………………….
Childish interests long gone’
‘Delusions’ is almost an extension of ‘Faces of Yore’ – yes, those faces that come into the mind and fades away could not have been ‘you’ but in ‘Delusions’ that face does not fade away. But then it is no more time for wishful thinking and frolicking in the effervescent passion of pubescence,
and she concludes that the ‘prattling girl has matured into a woman’ ready to face contemporary realities of the world around her. She is proud of her present status - and of her third eye ‘pride’ (Mine Own Pride p.44) – or is pride itself a metaphor for something else – some one else, only she can answer.
Hema extensively relies on metaphors to construct and support her themes – this makes her really poetic in every sense of the word. In
‘The Nameless Tree’ (p.23), the proud grandsire reminds us of typical the
village elders of yester years, who did everything good for the village for the near and dear but in the end forgets even to own a name. The injured flower that ‘Internalizes its pain and Recoils with hatred’ is yet another fine example (Injured Flower. p.64). And who is her ‘Fair Maid’? I leave it to her to answer.
Hema is equally philosophical at times. Look at her question,
‘How long will it take
For love to Hate?
And she concludes,
‘It takes but a spark’s age’
Love and Hate .p.35
‘Each bud blooms today
Only to whither tomorrow’
A Bud To Boom p.65
Hema seems, though not given vent in her poems explicitly, highly religious in her mind – but has definite views of her own –her religion cannot co-exist with the materialistic – she would rather keep her religious beliefs and materialistic life on different pedestals without having to mix them together.
Hema’s poems do exhibit a distinct thought of her own; often leading to a connectivity and organic unity among them. This is something that makes them rich and inviting the reader to look for a basic trend of thought and philosophy in her poems, in every line and sometimes between the lines.
One poem that stands a little differently ‘My Secret’ (p.56) – because of the words used – words a little outside common usage such as
Hamate , hamadryads, limners, Hebrides , halations, slubber - a little difficult for average readers to understand and appreciate – Was it to camouflage the secrets? – she can be sure she has succeeded in not revealing any in this one piece – but then I am afraid that she has amply laid bare many of her secrets, as a person, as a poet, as a creative artist in her passage from Nostalgia to Golden Moments.
Life Blues - Author R.Hema.
A Writers Workshop Redbird Book -2009. For details Director P.Lal, 162/92 Lake Gardens, Kolkata 700045. Website: www.writersworkshopindia.com Pages 72. Available in Hardback Edition Rs.120/- & Flexiback Limited Edition at Rs.100/-
Hema is undoubtedly well accomplished – her works are liked and appreciated by everyone; she has been published by Indian Literature - a very prestigious publication of the Sahithya Academy. Her translation of ‘ Krishna Gana’ of Othukkadu Venkatasubba Iyer appeared in the May –June 2008 issue – and she could maintain the emotive content of the original in total.
The prestigious Writers Workshop of Prof. Lal from Kalkotta has come with her ‘LIFE BLUES’, a collection of 54 poems that deal with as the publishers put, on various emotions felt by the poet ranging from elation to sadness. The first part of the book carrying 31 poems are mainly
centred around love while the second part placed under the caption ‘ My Fair Maid’ are on an unseen, silent companion of the poet in her fantasies – an alter ego.
Hema has a characteristic, distinct way of looking at things – a little different from others. Look at these lines
Do you know …….
…………………..
Don’t be thirsty, memories will spring
From peaks;
Golden Moments p.69
I am sure none of us ever thought of rain the way Hema does.
Throughout ‘Life Blue’ we can see her nostalgic past popping out – every where – memories springing out from all corners and at all times.
Nostalgia whiffs across
With a whip and roast – yea
Can I ever set eyes on you
My adolescent fancy-partner? …
………………….
Won’t the revolving earth bring to me
Few of the many joys of the past
Long gone and gone into the deep forever
Faces I yearn to see just a moment
Only a split second just to sense
That the buds of youth and vigour
Are still afresh inside
Nostalgia p.9 & 10
Creeping in with ‘buttered toast’, and ‘blossom friends’ she lands with her ‘adolescent fancy-partner’. This one expression would suffice to get her bracketed along with world poets of re-known. Beautifully crafted expressions, condensing or compressing meanings into delicate combination of words – well crafted word to word bonding to bring out more from every word is what poetry is all about – and Hema seems to have mastered the craft.
Look at other similar captivating expressions such as ‘First passion of pubescence’ (p.33) and ‘One smile composed thousand hints’ (p35).
She wants to be reassured, ‘that the buds of youth and vigour are still afresh inside’. After reading her poems we would have no hesitation to extend her that reassurance.
Hema is very focussed and sharp about what she wants to convey and that makes her extremely powerful.
‘Didn’t you say blue?
…………………….
She will lie in wait’
Life Blues p.11
‘A book and pen once threw She
Soaked with her Tears and Poverty’.
Altered Paths p.20
She is up in arms against all types of oppression and exploitation.
‘Hear not the……………
Rebounds with multiplied fury’
Refractions p.27
Look at the vibrant strength in those words – words that reverberate. However, just as many masters have done, she instead of inviting you to take arms prefers to place her faith in the unknown.
‘When will providence undo their shackles?
Afflictions p.32
She has a very delicate, subtle knack to handle personal emotions, particularly born out of man-woman relationship – may I say sometimes even bordering sensual.
I invite you to ‘Melodies’ p.13.
‘They sang intent, each unto other
…………………………………….
The symphony attained zenith’
Look at ‘Delusions’ (p.16). How well, just as in our acclaimed mythological literature, she pictures the stages and symptoms of blossoming love
‘I search for the face
…………………….
Childish interests long gone’
‘Delusions’ is almost an extension of ‘Faces of Yore’ – yes, those faces that come into the mind and fades away could not have been ‘you’ but in ‘Delusions’ that face does not fade away. But then it is no more time for wishful thinking and frolicking in the effervescent passion of pubescence,
and she concludes that the ‘prattling girl has matured into a woman’ ready to face contemporary realities of the world around her. She is proud of her present status - and of her third eye ‘pride’ (Mine Own Pride p.44) – or is pride itself a metaphor for something else – some one else, only she can answer.
Hema extensively relies on metaphors to construct and support her themes – this makes her really poetic in every sense of the word. In
‘The Nameless Tree’ (p.23), the proud grandsire reminds us of typical the
village elders of yester years, who did everything good for the village for the near and dear but in the end forgets even to own a name. The injured flower that ‘Internalizes its pain and Recoils with hatred’ is yet another fine example (Injured Flower. p.64). And who is her ‘Fair Maid’? I leave it to her to answer.
Hema is equally philosophical at times. Look at her question,
‘How long will it take
For love to Hate?
And she concludes,
‘It takes but a spark’s age’
Love and Hate .p.35
‘Each bud blooms today
Only to whither tomorrow’
A Bud To Boom p.65
Hema seems, though not given vent in her poems explicitly, highly religious in her mind – but has definite views of her own –her religion cannot co-exist with the materialistic – she would rather keep her religious beliefs and materialistic life on different pedestals without having to mix them together.
Hema’s poems do exhibit a distinct thought of her own; often leading to a connectivity and organic unity among them. This is something that makes them rich and inviting the reader to look for a basic trend of thought and philosophy in her poems, in every line and sometimes between the lines.
One poem that stands a little differently ‘My Secret’ (p.56) – because of the words used – words a little outside common usage such as
Hamate , hamadryads, limners, Hebrides , halations, slubber - a little difficult for average readers to understand and appreciate – Was it to camouflage the secrets? – she can be sure she has succeeded in not revealing any in this one piece – but then I am afraid that she has amply laid bare many of her secrets, as a person, as a poet, as a creative artist in her passage from Nostalgia to Golden Moments.
Life Blues - Author R.Hema.
A Writers Workshop Redbird Book -2009. For details Director P.Lal, 162/92 Lake Gardens, Kolkata 700045. Website: www.writersworkshopindia.com Pages 72. Available in Hardback Edition Rs.120/- & Flexiback Limited Edition at Rs.100/-