Book Review by Gopal Lahiri (Poet and Critic)
Quiet Whispers of Our Heart
Author: Susmita
English Translation: Chaitali Sengupta
ISBN: 978-93-87350-09-0
Publisher: Orange Publishers, Kolkata
Price: ₹ 240.00 INR
Creative Universe Illuminated
Poetry is the spontaneous overflow
of feelings and overreaching impulses since ages. It’s every poet’s dream to be
read, to be recognized for lifting the submerged soul and casting light into
the dark corner of life. In her charming
debut poetry collection, ’Quiet Whispers of Our Heart’, Susmita, the Pune based
poet, catalogues the poem that connect us to the Bengali language, locales,
ethos, and cultures. This poetry
collection is all about learning to speak in a poetic voice and mostly these
poems find a more personal voice without trading revelations.
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| Gopal Lahiri |
This collection of
poems is translated into English from the original Bengali by Chaitali
Sengupta. There’s something delightful about this bilingual edition, each poem
translated in English paired with its original Bengali side by side.
In her translator’s
note, Chaitali Sengupta has pointed out, ‘Each work in this book contains two
voices: that of the author and the other of the translator.’ She also goes on
adding, ‘A separate art is created in the womb of the original. And therein
lies the beauty of the art of translation.’ She has illuminated all the nuances
of the original, bringing the surface elements into stark relief.
Susmita’s emotive
poems are thought provoking and evocative- stand apart for its poetic
recompose. A few poems straddle the line between prose poem and lyric essay.
It’s reflects highly of the language, metaphor and logic and highlights some
key moments and trajectories of life.
Everything is
under her probing gaze and ideas and images are blend in a simple algorithm. She gives a sense
of clarity and roundedness in her poems and her words become texts of intense
luminosity and depth.
One of poetry’s most alluring elements can be
its blend of observations. Susmita’s
poems often contain a perceptible moment or two, then
something startling or surprising drops in. Her words open up on a broad canvas, unpacking everyday lives
with startling originality. Her carefully weighted words tips into fraught, interesting
terrain carving out a new identity.
Here is a poet who has confessed ‘One day may I be a tree’
and made us read for craft, skill and think about why things worked in a
seamless manner. It is the porousness of
poet’s language that surprises. Her eloquent
write is arresting and she finds a
wonderfully unforced way of expressing the truth. There is pure pleasure, directness and intimacy in the
following poem.
.
‘The day comes to an end,
In this manner, without preamble
Lights die down, just like that,
tedious, dull,
Monochromatic...
Nothing matters…
No story stands apart.’ (An Ant’s life…)
Poetry is actually making a story out of a moment and the
poet can unpack that moment in many different forms and ways. Her poems can be
quite complex or they can regal in their utter simplicity. Many of the poems
reveal the deft touches that exude the insistent appeal.
‘Memories are
at times locked with amnesia…
Like, the seen
also renders a part of the unseen…
Some mysteries…let them be an enigma
Just like, some questions unanswered… (The Pearl drops)
Poetry is a form
of art that is unique, special and borders on a creative outlet. There is no
denying that poetry is one of the most powerful instruments for our survival.
It is one mode of transport one takes on the long way through unknowing. This poem is a standout.
The fire has dampened
Defeat, wrongs, lovelessness
I can accept all now
In cold silence
The fire has dampened
And I don’t mind it either
Like a Quiet buried corpse
This too is a time of silence. (Time
of Silence).
Some
of his poems are strident, terse and pithy. It involves much urgent, incisive and unsettling
conversational rummaging. The sense of sublime submission to external powers prevails in
the following poems.
Instead
give me some yearnings
Some
moments of joy, a few churnings of memories
Instead
let a poem be born.’. (A poem, instead)
Or
Only I
painted a picture with the colours of my dreams
Human
you were
Always…
Then
and Now,
Only I
out of love heaped Godhood on you.’ (In the Maze of Time)
The poet’s tone is matter-of-fact and personal, as in this
poem. With a text richly packed with voices we all need to know more about; she
slices through the real elements and refreshes truth. This is another a cracker of a poem.
‘and so I come running, sometimes…
A trip to a destination beyond
Emptiness is a mirage
Just as the faraway opaque horizon’. (Emptiness and
Beyond)
Some
of his intensely felt lyrical proses are poignant and discerning
focusing on the immediate physical world around us, particularly that of surrounds
and on the workings of the relationship and social hurdles. There is no
mystical pomposity here whatsoever. Indeed, there is very nearly the opposite
and most of these proses are anecdotal and a serious self-interrogation.
‘We cannot bare our entire soul ever, no not even on the
pages of our life’s journal. I shall leave behind an incomplete story of my
life. Just like every other soul in this world.’ (Incomplete tale of life)
Furthermore, the
poet’s world play is pleasant, and economy of words is striking at times. She
never wrestles with grand theme, the
kind of posturing you’d expect from people not really comfortable in a new
terrain. Her poems are quieter and deeper to linger
with you for a longer period of time.
‘In
another life
On its wings I write solace each night
The story of an impasse’. (Impasse)
Poets in general like to express themselves in a way they
never could before. It allows them to say what they want while still leaving
the true meaning up to interpretation, beyond metrics and rhyme. If we
take a moment to observe-, poetry gives us that moment. Her poems give us a view through a keyhole, it’s a
view often made richer by life’s constrictions.
‘it’s time…
to untie the knots
untangle the link
time hurries forward
incessantly.’ (The last buzzer).
Even though the collection is not appealing enough with contemporary
issues or not engaging enough with craft as some readers may argue, but the
book stands out for its sheer promise and startling originality and quietness.
Susmita’s strength is clarity and weaving
emotive words with skill and purpose. This
charming poetry collection examines contrasts and conflicts contemplating
traditional stereotypes around, illuminating inner
workings and defiance. Chaitali
Sengupta’s translation is constantly alert to the shades and distinctions of
the poems.
The cover page is apt.
The book is a delight and will ensure a
wide appeal across the poetry lovers.
Thank you for such a brilliant review!!
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